


The Silent Chloey and the Elegant Phantom

by TheSilentChloey



Series: The Silent Chloey [2]
Category: Claymore (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Book 2, Hasn't been betaed, Other, Self-Esteem Issues, Serious plot holes, Some Fluff, Some Plot, Sorry Not Sorry, Spoilers, The Silent Chloey series book 2, There's A Tag For That, old af, old story, posting old stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2019-11-03
Packaged: 2021-01-21 05:42:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 16
Words: 42,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21294482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSilentChloey/pseuds/TheSilentChloey
Summary: Chloey's life is normal enough for a "Claymore", a silver-eyed slayer who possesses supernatural strength and powers.Chloey's duty is simple, find the yoma and kill them. It has been the same for her since her parents died and she came to the nameless "Organization".After losing her best friend Kate in her first group assignment one would think that Chloey would have left the Organization, but she remains. Not even Chloey herself can explain why she remains a warrior, although now things are more complicated than before. Chloey has only just begun to discover what she can do and she must hide this new found ability from the men of the Organization. Luckily for Chloey, their interests lay elsewhere than her…but what will happen if the "experiment" causes more harm than good. How will she cope when the Number 1 loses herself completely and her respected Captain is blamed for what she couldn't control?And what of the tall, elegant warrior whose claim to the Number 1 is so fast that she causes a wave of havoc, just with her blade? How will Chloey cope when she loses yet another friend to circumstances that she can't control?
Series: The Silent Chloey [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/559088
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue: The Abyssal of the South

**Author's Note:**

> I know, I know, you wanted to read other material first, and you were hoping to see me take a break from The Silent Chloey series, but I can't really, because I must begin where I left you all, the gathering of the warriors, the soul link that failed. I know that most of you have had access to the manga online at some point, and would have heard about Rafaela and Luciela, at the very least seeing that Luciela is the abyssal of the south. In this novel of The Silent Chloey series, we have it from the "eyes", the warrior whose job it is to sense yoki for the men. I don't think that even Chloey has words for what she is about to witness, nor will she ever have the words for it. What we discovered in The Silent Chloey: The Number 7 was a young warrior who was bereft of her precious best friend, a young warrior who had to navigate a world of monsters almost on her own. I have a feeling that if you have read the first book, you will find a different Chloey again, an older Chloey who has been a warrior for two years, and follow her through the most trying time of her life, those years where rebellion is certainly on the card for most warriors. I have a feeling that the Chloey we see here is one that knows that the clock ticks as she continues her work and that one day, once a new "eyes" is ready; she will be cast aside to be killed. I find it interesting that Yagi chose Hysteria to be the Number 1 before Rosemary, that it was Rosemary that landed the final blow thanks to Teresa. I find it highly interesting that Rockwell hill was the sight of his chosen massacre, Hysteria's last hurrah, her last stand before her life was taken. I feel almost sorry for Hysteria, that she is a nice enough person, despite the attention seeking that she seems to have in grained in her. Chloey (i.e. me as a claymore) would most certainly annoy Hysteria, but certainly feels quite awed by the fact that Hysteria even choses to spar with her and indeed choses to make friends with Chloey Meg and Claire, although the latter two are a lot better at pleasing Hysteria's attention needs than Chloey. Hysteria would most likely be intrigued by the fact that Chloey gets away with saying very little at all. Chloey's nickname will become ironic in the later books, in the fact that she keeps things from even her comrades, so staying silent about things that have shaped her. Wow this is long but please bear with me; it's not going to be much longer…
> 
> If you are looking for more TSC action, and you're reading this on FF.Net, then here's a crash hot tip, you will find that TSC is updated sooner on dA, and updated later on . I suggest you check out my profile on dA, (Don't worry my Pen Name is the same on DA as on , YugannaMirialover, so you won't have too much trouble finding me. If you still can't find me, just look up The Silent Chloey, or Yuganna, I will come up fairly quickly! Alternatively you could look for the group Phantom Miria FC (PhantomMiriaFC) and I'm on the top of the page as the group's founder) as I also do pictures for TSC and other fiction works, as well as putting up parts of my work, including stuff you won't see on !
> 
> Now all that's left for you to do is to enjoy book 2! Thanks for reading; I look forward to your reviews!

# The Abyssal of the South

_The warriors of the nameless Organization were gathered together from their regions. Unbeknownst to them, it was to see if a new idea could be tested, the idea of a "soul-link" to prevent awakening forcing the warrior to lose her mind, and in the hopes that they could be steps closer to a controllable awakened being. The warriors knew nothing about this research and even if they did it wouldn't change the fact that they were all bound to serve the nameless Organization until they either awakened or died. There was a slight catch however, as the men discovered. They needed to be sure that the rest of the warriors were behaving themselves so they had Lana the Cunning and The Silent Chloey keep a tight watch on them. The soon discovered that the Number 7 put more fear in to her lower ranked comrades than the Number 10. It was long since known to the Organization that The Silent Chloey was a specialist warrior, one that focused on distance perception and was hardly swayed in to saying more than a few words at any one time. Rimuto found that by keeping The Silent close they could, if they commanded her to, find out exactly what the warriors were doing while they were at Sutafu, and better still, they would also be able to find out if the trainees were doing what they were supposed to. However it had long since been noticed that The Silent was for the most part actually silent. Her voice was soft and quiet, so they had to strain their hearing just to hear what was going on. It was worth it all though. For the most part things were peaceful leading up to the soul-link experiment. Preparations were under way and everything seemed to be going to plan, on the surface at least. The men were slightly oblivious as to what was really going on among the warriors because The Silent was keeping a few…secrets for her comrades' combined sakes._  
  
I waited quietly like always, of course I had the most boring task of all the warriors and I envied the fact that Skylar and the others got to do as they pleased while I was stuck near the men, having to answer their questions and stand all day mostly on my own. I tried not to heave a sigh of annoyance, but it was very difficult not to do so. I'd just about had enough of the men and all of the questions that they were asking me. I sighed and was grateful for the time that they called all of the warriors in to the main reporting room. it would give me a break from having to read their yoki in detail. I half leant back on one of the pillars within the main reporting room and closed my eyes. I had my hair drawn back out of the way now and it was a good thing. The high ponytail was long enough to touch the top of my amour, and I was sure that it would get longer soon. I didn't really care about it that much as I was worn out and ready to sleep soon. As I carefully began to close my eyes, I realised that I wasn't going to get any sleep in my current position, that I needed to actually lay down before I could get some. I could feel my comrades as they entered the main reporting room in Sutafu, Rafaela and Luciela were in front followed be Lakyn and Katia, Indiana was muttering swear words under her breath like normal. Skylar made a bee line for me, although Meg and Claire beat her to it, hugging me tightly. I shook my head and hugged the girls, though I didn't do it so tight that they couldn't breathe or have broken ribs to deal with. As my gaze swept the room I saw Hysteria preening, and I noticed Ashton's half raised eyebrow. Kirra was nervous and Amy stood dejectedly behind someone, though I didn't know who. I could sense a few warriors standing well back from Bryce, and I sighed and yawned loudly, much to everyone's surprise. No one really noticed that I was in the room until I did that. There were a few snickers and they went quiet again. We were all waiting to see what the men would order us to do.  
  
After what felt like an eternity, one of the lesser handlers made an appearance and informed us that it was time for us to head out to the open area of Sutafu, where further instructions would be given. We were not to distract the trainees, although I knew that if we ever walked past them they would look at us all, regardless of our best efforts.  
  
I calmly went to follow my comrades when I heard someone call my name, I turned and the handler came over to me,  
"Number 7, your task is to make sure that you stay here," he told me, "Rimuto has commanded that you are to keep them informed of what's going on."  
I lowered my head and retreated to my post, the place where I stood when doing such tasks. I walked up to the glassless window and watched as my comrades filed out on to the large area, I saw Skylar look up at me and wave. I waved in return and shrugged, I could feel amusement in her yoki, and I knew that she would be perhaps laughing, or close to it. I could sense all of my comrades as well as see them. I made a gesture and Skylar's yoki stumbled a bit, she was curious as to why I had to disappear again, but she didn't do much. I felt a push on my leg,  
"What's wrong Chloey? Why aren't you out there with them?" asked Kate.  
"Orders as usual," I sighed softly,  
"Oh," Kate huffed, and she barked.  
I looked up, and Orsay came towards me, he seemed a little stressed, but it was hard to tell because I couldn't see his face real well. I got the message and I clanked over to the main reporting room, where some of the men were waiting. Rimuto sat in his throne-like chair and the rest of the men where the higher handlers no doubt. I sat in a corner and once again focused on my comrades' yoki. I didn't like the feeling that was coursing through my body at the moment, and I could feel several of the trainees filled with tension as well, it seemed that they too were to witness what was going on, just like the rest of the warriors. I leant back and yawned. Kate sat at my feet and when one of the handlers got too close she growled at him. It was funny to watch, but my amusement didn't last long. I shoved my sword in to the ground and sat with my back on the flat of it. Screw them; I was going to get some well needed sleep. I lay on my side and it was the last thing that I remembered.  
  
_"Number 7," a man called out to the sleeping warrior, "Number 7,"_  
"Leave her," said Orsay, "it looks like she's finally sleeping; I've noticed that she only sleeps about once a week."  
The other handlers cast worried looks at him,  
"Don't worry; she'll wake if anything serious happens," Orsay told them, "she is sensitive to yoki after all."  
The men looked at the sleeping warrior and wondered if Orsay was right.  
  
I woke suddenly; something was wrong, very wrong. I was on my feet in a few seconds; the men must have been watching me, for they tensed when I leapt up. Kate was on her feet, a low snarl in her throat. It seemed that she never missed a beat and she knew that I was worried about something. I ran over to the window and I froze as I saw what was going on. The warriors were fighting a creature unlike any awakened one that I had ever seen. It was a large cat like creature, with two tails swinging around it. It was a deep red colour and based on what I could sense it was powerful. Rafaela was straining to control it, I could see it strike out, and I felt several warriors go down. I froze in horror as I realised what was going on.  
  
Luciela was out of control and Rafaela was barely holding on to her yoki. Luciela struck, one of her tails lashing Rafaela, taking out her left eye and ripping her right shoulder apart. I felt so shocked that I couldn't even breathe. Kate looked up at me, but I couldn't meet her eyes. I knew at once that the Number 1 had become a creature of the abyss, Luciela was gone, and it was because the men had ordered her to, forced her to lose her mind for their own gains. I knew that many of my comrades had died. I could tell that many of the trainees had died. I ran, crying, though the tears have no sobs behind them.  
  
I rush to the trainees; about ten of them were up against the wall. Less than half their class, I looked around and noticed a large pile of rubble, I walked over to it, worried. I carefully lift it up, Lyra and several girls were underneath it. Lyra's yoki was weak, and I realised that her body had been severed in half. I knew that she was dying. A quick look revealed that the others were also dead. The trainees near the wall were all cowering in fear. There was a strange girl up the front, her long braided hair was all the way down to her waist and she looked at me, her sliver eyes wide with fear.  
"Who is that?" one of the girls asked her hair was long and straight. I spotted Teresa and when our eyes met, she walked over to me.  
"Hey, you're that warrior from before, aren't you," she asked,  
I smiled and I nodded. I knew that the trainees weren't ready to see what I was standing in front of, so I spoke,  
"Is everyone ok?" my voice was soft, gentle.  
Another trainee cried out, "You're the Claymore that saved me!" she had short hair and seemed childish,  
"Noel, aren't you?" I said calmly,  
"YOU REMEBERED!" Noel cried, then she looked down,  
"How bad…how bad is it?" the girl with the long braided hair asked,  
I looked at them, and I felt truly saddened by what they had just witnessed, I turned away and looked for my comrades' yoki. Less than half of the warriors had survived. I could sense Skylar, Meg, Claire, Ashton, Roman, Bryce, Hysteria, Amy, Kirra, Rosemary, Jessica, Willow, Harmony, Rafaela, Briarly, Katia and Indiana. Less than half the warriors remained. Just from Luciela being out of control. I fought the tears, it wouldn't help the trainees to see me lose it, they needed to be reassured that everything was going to be ok. The men rushed in and started yelling. Kate howled loudly and everyone went quiet. I felt my comrades all stop as well. Skylar had heard Kate's howl easily and she tensed.  
The longhaired girl looked at me, waiting for an answer, but I couldn't bear the thought, it would frighten her and cause them all grief, and yet I felt compelled to tell them, to at least put their minds at ease.  
"Bad," I say softly, "they're gone."  
Several of them start crying as the realisation dawns on them. Their classmates were lying dead under the rubble caused by Luciela. The men rushed in and then the yelling truly started, until another of Kate's howls ripped the air. It was much louder than the last, and the living warriors all tensed.  
"WHERE HAS SHE GONE?" one of the men yelled,  
I looked at him and waited to see if he was enquiring about Luciela or about someone else.  
"Where has Luciela gone Number 7?" Orsay asked me. His voice quieter, but just as stressed.  
I said one word, "South…"  
The men looked at me and the trainees flinched against the wall again, I looked at the braided long hair, something told me that I would see her again. I walked out to see if there were more of my comrades among the living. I doubted it, but I just had to check. Even if it was just hopeless and pointless, I just had to know. I wanted to be sure that they were truly dead, or if they were dying to take that pain away from them like I'd had to do on numerous occasions. I would end their suffering. My amour clanked as I walked out of the ruined building. A scene of pure carnage met my eyes…


	2. Chapter I: Promotion

## Chapter I: Promotion

  
_Nothing could have prepared the Organization for the carnage that was a failed experiment. They lost over half the warriors and trainees in that one test. They were now shorthanded and there wasn't anything they could do except go in to over drive producing half yoma warriors. Several girls would find themselves pulled into the walls of Sutafu, forced to become warriors, cut open and forced to feel pain. These girls would be pushed through in an effort to get enough warriors to fill the gaps._  
  
The Organization's men however still had some of the warriors left. Those that were left would form almost a new generation. Upon finding out that only 18 warriors lived they would have to step the trainees up on a surcharged course. They soon discovered that not even the trainees were spared, only ten girls remained. To make matters worse they'd lost both the anti-warrior and the next girl slotted to be the eyes. Lyra's death was a blow that they didn't expect, forcing them to one again rely on their experienced "eyes" The Silent Chloey. They had to shake the ranks as well; thankfully they had a highly ranked single digit, Cursed Indiana. It was decided that she would be the next Number 1 as they didn't want Rafaela to be stimulated. It worried the men that she had the same power as Luciela. They decided that Rafaela was to forfeit her number, forced to hide as a walking corpse. It was the job of the newly promoted Rubel to give the warrior the news. When Rubel came to Rafaela's room he heard a quiet voice, softly talking to Rafaela…the one warrior who would also have to be told what was going on because she was so sensitive to yoki that even though Rafaela was good at suppression, she would still be able to sense the older warrior with ease according to what Rimuto had told him. Rubel was told that The Silent wasn't a warrior of many words, and she was an obedient one, she would do as she was told, and they could count on her to follow her orders in a way that they were hard pressed to say about most other warriors. The Silent's voice was hard to hear, but as Rubel stood still near the door and focused on what he was hearing, he discovered that she was talking words of comfort. He paused and listened in on what was sure to be an interesting conversation. It was rare for warriors to talk to one another the way Chloey was talking to Rafaela, indeed Rubel was amazed that The Silent could even say as many words in a normal person's speech. It was highly amazing to listen to her talk. Her voice was soft and yet it was quiet at the same time. It also gave the impression of a monster, making Rubel cold, although he'd known in forever and a day how the half-yoma were produced. These girls the result of mixing the dormant Dragonkin's flesh with the "awakened" Dragonkin's flesh. The resulting parasite was the yoma, and it took control through the person's mind. Rubel knew that the Organization were trying to get a controllable awakened being, and he also knew that he had to stop them from doing so, he was the spy after all. However he was a careful man, he wouldn't do anything that would expose himself, he would hide and hide well. Especially if he wanted to survive.  
  
I carefully tied the last bandage on Rafaela's face. She didn't even flinch.  
"There all done." I say quietly.  
Rafaela was shaking with sadness that she just couldn't let out, she was also ashamed. I could sense that even in her suppressed yoki. She looked away from me until I held her hand,  
"I know how you feel Captain." I tell her gently,  
She half smiled, but she was in both physical pain as well as mental. She gripped my hand and she was shaking with tears. I hugged her gently and she cried on my shoulder. I cried with her, I truly felt her pain. I knew what it was like to lose my sister, I'd lost both of my blood sisters in one hit, and then when I was just ten years old, Kate had died, leaving a gaping hole in my heart. I knew…I knew the pain that Rafaela was feeling. She was fighting to keep her yoki suppressed, she wanted it down, so she pushed it down in spite of the fact she was devastated mentally. She cried until she half slept. I carefully lowered her on to the bed she was resting on. Her right eye was closed and her breathing was deep and even. As far as I knew I was the only one that knew Rafaela was alive. I sighed, I wanted to stay with her, but the men would want me soon. Most likely they would want to see which trainees were ready to become warriors, but I didn't know what was going to happen next. I took one last look at Rafaela, and I prayed that she would find peace, though I knew that as long as Luciela ran as an awakened being there would be no peace for Rafaela. She would want to end it, and she would never forgive herself for what she couldn't have changed, for what she couldn't control even though she had tried so hard to do it. I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I walked out of the room and closed the door softly. Her heartache tormented me. For as long as I would live I will still hear her screams  
"COME BACK LUCIELAAAAAA! COME BACK! DAMN IT COME BACK LUCIELAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
I froze as it hit me again. I sobbed, but there was no sound. I felt truly horrible. I was the one to hold her as she sobbed and cried, I was the one to bandage the wounds so that they would stop bleeding. I was the one to cry with her and feel her pain. I stopped abruptly, someone was behind me. I swung around. It was him, the man with a black hat and glasses, Rubel.  
"She sleeps." I told him,  
"Is that so?" he asked, "You are expected not to tell anyone else that she lives, do you understand?"  
I nodded,  
"She will be sent away, like a dead person." he continued  
I sighed and turned to leave,  
"Say nothing." he said,  
I left him, knowing that my other comrades would be worried about me.  
  
I was more than right. Skylar lifted my up off my feet and hugged me so tightly that I couldn't even breathe.  
"Skylar…" I chocked, though I doubted that she could hear me.  
"Thank goddesses you're alive!" she said, hugging me even tighter if that was possible. One of my ribs gave way with a loud snap. Skylar let go of me abruptly, and despite her best efforts, I could tell that she'd been crying. I healed the rib, only to be nearly chocked again. Meg and Claire hugged me, crying.  
"I'm ok." I say, my voice was weak because I was being squeezed. The idea was just too good to pass up. I hugged them as tightly as I could, but not too tight. The both squealed and I let them go at the same time. I looked around at who was left and I sighed. We were so few, and the humans would desperately need to have a "Claymore" in their midst to get rid of the yoma, even if they hated us. Things would be vastly different now and warriors would be pushed. Based on what I had been told by Rubel Rafaela was thought to be dead to most of my comrades, with me being the only person that knew that she was even alive. I felt a wave of grief for the warrior who had been my captain on my second ever group mission. I felt the tear slid down my cheek as Kate rushed up to me. She stood by my side and Skylar said, "Wow, she sure has grown."  
"That is true." I reply softly, Kate tilted her head as if to ask a question and I shook my head, Skylar looked from me to Kate in confusion. I shrugged my shoulders and felt the events of the day truly take their toll on me. I slowly made my way back to the warriors' quarters and flung myself on to the hard-ish bed. I slept, though I didn't know if it was real well.  
  
I felt several yoki outside the door, but I stayed lying down, I didn't want to get up. I stretched, and I felt my shoulders pop a little. I moved my legs and I felt my knees pop, and as I stood my feet hurt. I could hear the echoes of footsteps and I knew that it was Orsay, I had long since memorised the sound of Orsay's footsteps. I wasn't that bad that I would forget the sound of my handler's footsteps. I allowed my back to pop and as I straighten myself, so that my shoulders were as normal as they were supposed to be. I sighed and slowly pulled on my amour, I could feel my yoki slowly shift and I supressed it. I decided that I was going to push it down, for good, and once it was almost completely beyond my ability to feel it. I sheathed my blade and once I was ready, I opened the door. I was surprised that there were five other warriors outside the room that I was in. Faint whispers broke the near silence and I walked, Kate's claws rapped the floor. The warriors that were standing around were all nervous, almost all of them looking at me, though I knew that it was a matter of time before they got over it though. I was small after all.  
  
I looked at them and I realised that I didn't even recognise them. I couldn't even remember their names nor did I know them. I sighed and made my way to the main reporting room, I could feel my comrades' anger. I slowly made my way to the gathering of warriors and several of them were bristling with anger. I paused as I spotted the handlers.  
"Chloey." a man called,  
I sighed and walked forward. My amour clanked as I came forward, those who were ranked below me all stared openly at me now. My amour broke the silence that wasn't there. I stopped in front of my comrades, the man looked at me,  
"You are the Number 5," he told me, I was given a map, "that is your region, you'll be expected there tomorrow."  
I sighed and turned to leave, my comrades parted like the a sea. They moved out of my way, swiftly except for two. Meg and Claire were both waiting for me and were smiling. We left our comrades and calmly left them. I was put out that I didn't get to even say a word to Skylar, but I guessed that I would see her soon enough. I walked away as Teresa was dragged in, she was carrying on about it hurting. I didn't really focus on what was going on around me at the moment. I was more focused on where I was going to have to go, and as I consulted the map, I sighed. Of course I was close to Sutafu, it was to be expected of a single digit of my rank now. It would also mean that I would have to do survival training as well. Though I didn't really know if I would have to do it, since I had already done Lyra's. I wondered if it was just me that had trained her in what little way that I could. I sighed and I focused on probing the new area. I wanted to curse, I thought that Lakyn had kept her region clean. I sighed, it was going to be a long day when I got there.  
  
We travelled towards my new region, and I pushed a hard pace to the nearest town. I counted no fewer than ten yoma. I sighed. I killed the yoma swiftly, and the humans here were worse than my old region. They had a real distrust of the half yoma and I didn't bother with them. I ignored the wisecracks and the nasty snide tones that I could hear,  
"My work is done, a man in black will collect the fee give it to him." I snapped, annoyed with the humans and their foul manners.  
Orsay could deal with them and not me. I'd had just about enough of it already. I resisted the urge to storm out of the town. I was pissed, really pissed. Meg and Claire were both tense, they must have felt my anger, but they didn't say anything. Once I was clear of the town my anger cooled. Small wonder the higher ranks were so closed. They had the terrible regions. I heaved a sigh and settled down for the night. I hated it. I truly hated it. I found a place for us to sit for the night, but I stayed standing. I ranged out and counted the number of yoki that I could sense. It obviously didn't take long for the yoma to get around. I heaved a sigh as I ranged out, I couldn't hear much yet. I sighed.  
  
The night was long and by the time the sun rose to start the new day Kate was grumbling about the fact that it was so quiet. I wanted to ask her something when I heard a rustle.  
"Kate." I warn, and she went quiet.  
Meg and Claire tensed, but I said no more. Orsay came over, and I waited for him to speak,  
"You have new orders," he said cautiously it seemed to me, "you will be needed to watch an awakened hunt in the west, near Doga,"  
I simply nodded and went for my sword. As I sheathed it he spoke again  
"You will also be required to do survival training for a group of trainees. They will be with you once the hunt is complete." Orsay added.  
I simply started walking, honestly I was beyond caring anymore. Our amour clanked as we walked away.


	3. Chapter II: I sure as Hell Didn't See That One Coming

## Chapter II: I sure as Hell Didn't See That One Coming

  
_It was a long time ago, that I realised something key to myself. I was a defensive type. There was no question about it, though I could lash out as hard as my classmates, I couldn't bring out my yoki to make an attack, indeed I hated the feeling of the monster that was inside of me. I hated it with all of my might, so when I was cut and had to call the monster forth, I was angry at myself. I didn't have a way to vent it like the others, who seemed happy to swear and curse as the sword master had taught us, but I don't know why my fist struck out, slamming Amelia in the jaw. It wasn't like I was hell bent on hurting her, or indeed willing to hit her, as Kate later pointed out, I had a strange brand of return fire that was almost unheard of. I hated arrogance, so I guess that might have been the reason for my strike, however the more I thought about it, the more I came to realise that it was my own anger at myself that had caused that to happen. I slowly got over it, after seeing the trouble that the others were getting in I was sure that I too would be beaten, thrown in the dark, or something equally degrading, but to my intense surprise, I was given no such treatment. I was astonished and confused, and as I later confessed to Kate, I had no idea as to why they were so interested not in the fact that what I did was wrong, but rather the power that my strike had. They were not even interested in the fact that I had lost momentary control and hurt someone, but seemed more interested in what I could sense. It was very confusing as my father had always told me not to do something remotely like it. I ended up apologising to Amelia, but she was rightly afraid of me, until I stood up for her. I told them it was all my fault and that she had nothing to do with it. And yet I still didn't get punished. I just didn't understand it at all._  
  
I cleared no fewer than three towns on my way to Doga. The humans in those towns were horrible and made snide comments about the fact that I was small, and "runt" was their word of choice, until I levelled my blade at their faces. I allowed the monster to ooze out just enough that they would feel as if the air was forbidding and it was enough. They knew that I didn't say much, but they learned to fear me in a way that humans always feared us. I sighed and pushed my yoki down. I could feel that Indiana was with three young and inexperienced warriors. She had Hysteria with her, most likely to show the young ones how it was done. Kate trotted alongside me while Meg and Claire hung back a bit. I sighed,  
"What's wrong Chloey?" asked Claire, worried  
"Nothing," I replied.  
There was something strange going on. I was sure that Hysteria was planning something, but I had no idea as to what it was. I knew that if worst came to worst our new Number 3 would be trouble. I was surprised that Rosemary was promoted to Number 4, but I didn't complain. Ashton was now the Number 9 and Bryce was the new Number 6. It seemed that the ranks were shaken up nicely. I was still in a state of shock that the Organization had so few warriors to keep the yoma suppressed. I sighed as I followed the hunting party, the trainees would arrive within a week as far as I was told and I wasn't sure why I was one of the warriors that were taking them on. I found out that there would be five of them, which was half their class. I sighed as I wondered which girls I would have to deal with. I didn't know who they were, but I guessed that I would get to know them soon enough. I kept moving forward, keeping a tight eye on the group like I should have done. There was no telling what was going on. It was my entire existence encompassed in to one purpose and that was to sense at a distance. The handlers would be quite busy as they were filled with requests and making sure that their warriors were well behaved and doing as they were told. I was also put on standby in case any tried to go rogue. I hated such a task as I didn't like the fear that was being instilled to my comrades. I sighed and then froze as an argument broke out between Indiana and Hysteria, lasting all of about half a minute. Then the pair seemed to settle for a while.  
  
I led Meg and Claire over to a suitable camp sight and rested for the night. I rested with my back on my claymore as was my custom, slowly breathing in and out. The night was cold and I shivered a little as my yoki died down more. I closed my eyes and tried not to think about what Hysteria and Indiana were fighting about. My yoki perception had grown to the point that I could almost figure out what others were saying to each other now, though I couldn't get exact words. I however got the idea of what the two were talking about and I guessed that it was about their techniques. I figured that Hysteria was the one who'd started it with an almost smug like intention, and I half knew that she was waiting for the most opportune moment to take out Indiana, and I was sure that I would see it happen. I could easily see Hysteria trying to claim the Number 1 as it was the most coveted rank within the Organization to some warriors and really I didn't care about the rank, I never had. I was irritated enough with being the Number 5. I froze as yet another fight broke out between Indiana and Hysteria, and as I watched it seemed to settle down again. I wasn't sure if the two were just mucking around or if Hysteria was actually being serious. I sighed as I realised that I might have to report the behaviour of both of them, then again those at Number 3 were always acting off.  
  
_Unknown to The Silent warrior there was much happening between the Number 3 and the Number 1, their words were both heated and aimed to bring the other to her knees. Hysteria knew that is she didn't kill Indiana, she would never get the rank she so desired, and she would do anything in her power to keep such a rank. She knew that she was faster than the Number 1 and the younger warriors weren't helping Hysteria at all. They were afraid of her so that was a good thing. She could get them to shut up, but it was the "eyes" that was her main worry. The Silent Chloey was a nuisance if there ever was one. Hysteria was no body's fool. She knew that they would have Chloey watching, if only to keep the warriors in line. However, Hysteria knew that the younger warrior was one that rarely slept, so she would have to time herself well. She guessed that they were being followed at a distance that no one else would even dream of being able to sense, and given that Chloey had proven countless times that she was unmatched in distance perception it was only fair that Hysteria carefully negotiate her way up to the rank that she wanted. She had planned this to go off without a hitch, deciding that she would make sure that her plan worked perfectly._  
  
It was late, the younger warriors were tired and Hysteria had yet another go at Indiana for her ugly technique. Indiana was close to ripping Hysteria's head off, but now knew that she was the most watched warrior. It was to be her downfall as Hysteria pulled her blade. Indiana should have known what the girl was planning from the beginning and even as she tried to pull her own blade, she was too slow and her arm fell to the ground with a sickening thud.  
  
I jumped suddenly Indiana was in trouble, she was desperately fighting Hysteria off, but I couldn't really make out much as Hysteria's yoki surged. I knew what she was doing and I yelled, "Meg, Claire, Kate, GET UP NOW!"  
I grabbed Kate around her middle and sprinted forwards as Indiana's yoki surged to dangerous heights. Meg and Claire rushed forwards at almost 50% of their yoki powers in an effort to keep up with me. We entered the clearing as Hysteria ended Indiana. The younger two were injured and I noticed that Indiana was almost up to 80% before she died. Hysteria looked behind herself and when she saw me she was mildly surprised.  
"Oh, I didn't realise that you were so close by, or I would have signalled that we were in trouble." she lied,  
"You lie," I said softly, "however, she was marked for death, so I guess they'll believe you."  
I turned to leave as Meg and Claire bolted in to the clearing. I made a signal to them and they followed me out of Hysteria's range.  
"What was that all about Chloey?" Meg asked me,  
"I'm going to let Hysteria get away with it, but next time she won't be so lucky."  
"Get away with what Chloey?" Claire asked,  
"What she just did, killing Indiana," I told them, "I can't fathom her reasons, but she has made her bed she might as well sleep in it."  
"Chloey, why?" Kate asked sadly,  
"She was close Kate, even if Hysteria pushed her Indiana was close, I could sense that she was near her time, so even if Hysteria had killed her she has done her duty, despite the fact that it was in such a manner."  
I clucked my tongue and pulled my blade,  
"Let's spar, we need to be ready for the trainees." I told them.  
I didn't know which girls I would be working with but I decided that I would start getting in to the habit of doing my drills, especially since they would most likely expect to be doing them. I made sure that Meg's guards were correct and worked on Claire's strikes. I used my left hand and made sure that Meg focused on the yoki around her. she was doing alright, twice she'd managed to sense my yoki, however faint it was to her. Claire found it just too hard, preferring to use her eyes and fight. I was busily working with Meg, when I felt a yoki behind me. I jumped away from it and rolled on the ground, my right arm swung my sword before I could stop it and Hysteria of all people avoided my strike. I was surprised that she managed to sneak up, but then again she'd taken a suppressant pill, so her yoki was down. For a little while at least. I sighed and went to change hands when Hysteria suddenly slid through my body, as an illusion at least, I caught her blade and jerked her hard. She landed on to the ground with a hash thud. She looked up at me and kicked off the ground hard, but the same result happened as before, though she was getting angry about it,  
"Enough," I said icily, "You won't out run my blade, get your task done."  
I turned my back on her and I sensed her move before she actually did it. I locked her down, hard. She suddenly cringed in fear, I guessed that she finally felt what she was dealing with. I let her go and she changed her movement, fleeing away from me. I sighed and slammed my blade in to the ground. I was beginning to get sick of the competition that was for the higher Numbers. I decided to rest, however I was too worked up to care. I got up and paced the clearing several times in agitation, but it didn't help me. I felt something die and I knew that it was their original target. Hysteria had killed it on her own, which I didn't expect. I sure didn't see that happening.


	4. Chapter III:

# Chapter III: Survival Training

  
Three weeks after the chaos that had happened Orsay arrived with 5 girls. I paid no attention as I was half asleep. My shoulders hurt, though I'd done nothing. I had my back on my sword and I was going to lie down. I reluctantly opened my eyes and looked at the girls that Orsay had with him. Each of them carried a practice claymore and each had simple boots and a strap to hold the practice claymore on her back. The girls were all taller than I was. Meg and Claire had already stood up, and as I got to my feet Orsay spoke,  
"The five of you will be travelling with the Number 5; you are to do as she tells you," he took a breath and continued, "as for you, Number 5 your next assignment is in Rokut."  
I sighed and calmly returned to sitting with my back on my sword. I heard Orsay's cloak rustle as he left and I made no move to talk. The girls all stood there, and I knew at once who they were, roughly speaking. Teresa was up the front and behind her was the longhaired girl with yoma like ears. Noel was alongside Teresa and there was another girl with short wavy hair, and of course the girl with the long braids, a strange child to say the least,  
"Sit," I say, my voice carries across the clearing and the girls all hasten to sit, "tomorrow we have a long journey so I suggest that you rest up."  
My eyes were already closed and I knew that I was going to fall asleep soon and be in the blissful world of dreams.  
  
_The five trainees looked at each other and back to the small warrior, she looked so young, indeed she looked no older than them. Teresa remembered the warrior and knew that she was being serious. They weren't told that it was this warrior. Teresa walked over to the sleeping warrior, but there was no response from her,  
"Teresa, she said to rest." Irene half called,  
"I know," said Teresa, "but there is something strange about her yoki that I can't help, it's almost completely gone."  
"As it should be," said a warrior with her hair pulled back in to two high blond pigtails, "Chloey hasn't used her yoki ever in the time that I've known her. My name is Claire, and this is my sister Meg."  
The trainees looked at the warrior that Claire was pointing to and they soon found themselves staring at a warrior whose chin length pale ginger hair covered both of her eyes. The warrior showed no sign of moving and Teresa returned her attention to the sleeping warrior, the one called Chloey,  
"She sure doesn't say much." Sophia noted,  
"She's known as The Silent Chloey," Claire explained, "of all the warriors she is the quietest among us."  
As if on cue the white wolf walked towards the sleeping warrior and rested her head on Chloey's stomach, closing her green eyes for a time. The half yoma rested for the rest of the night without any more words spoken._  
  
I woke with Kate's head on my side. I could sense the trainees as well as Claire and Meg. I sighed and moved just a little bit, waking Kate gently as I did so. I got up and pulled my amour on. I looked at everyone and gently woke them all up. They must have been up quite late last night. I knew that it would make them fall over later today.  
"Everyone up, it's time to go." I whisper and I sheathe my blade. I knew that it was my blade that woke them and once the trainees look at me, Teresa is the first to jump up and sheathe her practice blade. The others follow suit as Meg and Claire sheathe their blades. I smile a little and begin the day's travel.  
  
As we walk it is clear that no one even prepared them for the pace that I travelled at. I could see that the girls were sweating; I sighed but couldn't slow the pace as I was already behind. By the time we reached a place that was good enough to be a camp, they almost fell over. I sighed and took off my amour,  
"Teresa," I called softly, "pick up your blade please, I would like to spar with you."  
Teresa got to her feet shakily, she was tired, but I'd had much worse than what she had.  
  
In spite of her tiredness she still put up a good fight. I dodged mostly, countered lightly. She seemed to be trying to do something, and I paused. I knew at once what she was trying,  
"Don't even think about it," I warn, "such a move will take you years to work with, and the way that you are using it…you will be taken by surprise if your opponent has a suppressed yoki, focus on your defence."  
She looked at me surprised  
"Trust me, I am one of the most sensitive to yoki, and despite my best efforts I can be tricked, especially with suppressed yokis. What you have is good, just don't rely on it, your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness," I told her, "learn to lessen the detail; it will help you with opponents that have a large yoki than your own."  
I sigh and then shove my blade in to the ground, I didn't care what Teresa did as I would be able to sense it before she did it anyway,  
"Rest, tomorrow I want all of you to do your drills." I tell them. I then sit with my back against my sword. Two days was enough for them to have a break, I noticed that something was wrong with the girl that had the long braided hair, it was almost as if she was thinking of the past. I sighed and ranged away from us, lightly brushing the yoki in the area. It was a quiet night tonight, I was grateful that it was going to be so quiet; it would give me time to structure their training. Tomorrow night I was going to have to hunt, I also knew that I would have to teach them how to make a fire, what foods we could eat and as I thought about it a plan slowly formed in my mind. I decided that I would teach them everything that I knew, if they wanted to use it they could, if not, then it was none of my business. It would be up to them, not me.   
  
I spent the rest of the night deep in thought. I heard the longhair mutter in her sleep about her mother and father, I heard "Dragonkin" and I sharpened my ears. Such words I'd never heard before, and I was curious. I could hear her call out to someone named "Emily" and then she was sobbing. I quietly walked over to her when she suddenly sat bolt upright, shaking like a leaf in the wind. She was crying, and she was doing her best not to show it. She started when she saw me, her silver eyes wide and afraid,  
"It's ok." I say softly,  
She looked at me and then to the ground, tears clung to her eyelashes, her braids covered her face and she lifted her head to look me in the eye, and we both just look at each other for a while.  
"What did you mean by 'your greatest strength is your greatest weakness'?" she asked suddenly,  
"Just that," I reply, "you'll know what I mean when your time comes to understand it. The best example I can think of for now would be simply this, a warrior can only control her yoki for so long before she loses control, after that she becomes what she hates the most. It is yoki that gives us strength, but it is also a weakness. A warrior sensitive to yoki can be overwhelmed by an opponent whose yoki is far greater than their own."  
I look at her and she seems to understand, though I can't really tell because she is too busy brushing away the tears. I go to get up, but I have a strange feeling that I should stay down or grab my sword at the very least. I half jump to my sword and rip it out of the ground and jump, by the time I land on the ground again everyone is up and a yoma lays in halves dead with its blood spilled either side of me, my blade clean and shining in the moonlight.  
"WOAH!" The girl with the chin length wavy hair cries, "Was that a yoma?"  
The others all look in sickened fascination,  
"GET DOWN NOW!" I yell, tightening my grip on my blade. I swing it hard, slashing through the elongated fingers that would have gone through me if I hadn't paid attention. I jumped and landed near the wavy short hair and push her down, sparing her from yet another attack, my blade slashing yet another limb.  
  
I jumped hard and slashed the air; cutting a winged yoma in half as a third yoma came at me. I landed and my blade slammed in to its throat.  
"You creatures should know by now that I have a certain tolerance for your kind that is only three seconds," I hiss, "and don't think that you can hide from me either, because I can sense you out no matter where you try to hide."  
I pull at the last yoma's yoki, making it show itself. The yoma tried to fight me but it was pointless, I was forcing it to do what I wanted, making it move the way I wanted it to. I sliced it clean in half when it was close enough, blood spraying all over the place but none of it was on me. The girls all looked like they had just been jolted. I didn't blame them. Meg tilts her head and sighs. She sits back down as Claire checks to see if they were ok. I sigh, but do nothing. It would be up to them to get over it, not for me to do something about that which was out of my control. I sat with my back against my claymore. I looked away from them; I really didn't need the trouble that was sure to be coming my way.  
  
The rest of the night passes without incident, but that didn't mean anything to me. I just sat and waited for the sure fire load of questions that was bound to be asked. The girls were quiet. I was sure that they were frightened by what I'd done, but I wasn't too sure. I rested the night away, waiting for the sun to rise again.  
  
We started off like normal, I could sense uneasiness in the trainees, but I was unable to enquire about it. We were closer to the town of Rokut, and I decided that tonight I would truly find out what was going on. I walked forwards as if nothing was happening. We walked along the road; I could sense that there was only one yoma. I sighed and walked calmly forward, the humans were all surprised to see that we'd made it to the city. I looked to the left and realised that we were already in Rokut; I sighed and tugged at the yoma's yoki, pulled at it. The yoma could sense what I was doing but it couldn't stop me. I watched it as I pulled at it. The trainees watched on in shock as Meg and Claire sprang into action so swiftly that they didn't know what happened. The girl with the braided hair looked on with interest, as if she wanted to know what it was that Claire had done. The other four all had solemn expressions on their faces, and all five were shaken, doing their best not to show it. I could easily sense the disturbance in their yoki, so I simply did what was always expected,  
"A man in black will collect the fee and you will give it to him." I told the humans, sighing as I started to walk out of the town. Rokut was smaller than I thought. The sun set and we were in the forest, the trees blocking any view of the sky. I could hear the faintest of sounds. I griped my blade tightly and jumped out of the way as a man landed on to the ground. I had my blade near his throat,  
"What do you want human?" I asked murderously,  
He looked up at me and flinched,  
"You're a silver-eyed witch."  
"Wow, you actually know how to talk," I said boredly, "a bandit, right, too bad boys; we have nothing worth stealing."  
The man looked shocked, and I could hear several rustles in the bushes as the rest of them came out,  
"Well, well, it seems that you're a sharp silver-eyed witch."  
"What does that make you?" I asked, "A fool?"  
Meg snorted and Claire snicked. The humans looked pissed but I didn't care.  
"As I have said, those who are claymores carry nothing worth stealing so go bother someone else." I sighed.  
The men looked at me and I could almost read their minds, but I waited to see what they would do. I saw them look at Meg and Claire, but I couldn't read the expression on their faces. The lead man smirked, "Oh really?"  
His tone made me think that he wanted something that I wouldn't like. However, I knew that he wouldn't want any one of us. I sighed, "If that is what you want, then you are most unwise." I pull my shirt apart, showing the horrible scar that dominated my small chest. The humans stared and froze as they took in the blackened part of my chest; the scar looked like it was long since dead. I was sure that I was the only claymore that actually had a black scar. I sighed inwardly as the old memory hit my mind…  
  
_The pain was horrific; I didn't know how I bore it. I was almost losing my mind. The only thing that kept me going was Kate, and she was in so much pain that I doubted that she could bare anymore of it either. I heard the door open, and as we both tried to move away, the men that entered just hauled on our arms and made us move. I cried out in pain, but my cries were drowned out by the others who were screaming. I walked in blind pain as the man dragged me along the corridor, pain consuming me with every step that I took. I didn't know where Kate was anymore. I felt the man dump me on to the ground, and another man ripped off my thread bare dress. I heard a voice talking, almost shocked at what they were seeing,  
"This has never happened; they never show signs of actually healing, never!"  
"Well, well, well, how interesting, it seems that this girl already has silver eyes, and is healing at the same time."  
I knew that voice; it was Dae, that creepy old man who was most interested in Kate and I. He was also the man that had brought us to the Organization in the first place. I had no idea how long I had been here. Time passed much faster to me since I had woken with the pain, hours were like seconds, sometimes even longer, but I didn't know anything except the pain.  
"How many days has it been?" he asked to no one in particular  
"Sorry sir?" several male voices responded, confused no doubt as to why Dae would ask such a question,  
"How many days has it been since she was operated on? Such changes are not seen until they have had a week from being operated on, and even then, it takes several weeks for their eyes to change. So then tell me this how many days has it been since this girl was operated on?" Dae demanded  
"Ah…a day sir..." one of them responded, I couldn't tell if he was the man that brought me here or if he was someone else. I didn't know or care, the pain was more than enough to keep me preoccupied.  
"I see." Dae looked me in the eye as a spasm hit. I doubled over with pain, almost screaming in pain. He seemed bored with me and made a gesture. I felt yet another man lift me up and I screamed, this time it would have drowned out even the loudest girl in the cells._  
  
The humans flinched as they looked at the scar, sickened they left us alone. I sighed and tugged the loose parts of the shirt and once I'd done that I made sure to tuck the loose parts out of the way. I sighed and walked on, I acted as if nothing had happened. I worked on finding somewhere to rest for the night. The trainees were ready to begin their nightly sparring matches. I supervised them, but I didn't want to spar tonight. I left the girls and headed towards where I could hear the faint rustle of leaves. Orsay was standing with his back on a tree, and when he realised that I was there, he threw me a shirt. I sighed, pulled off the ripped shirt and pulled on the clean fresh shirt.  
"You next assignment is a two day walk to the north, Eon."  
I turned to look at him and made a gesture to show that I had heard what he had said. I walked back to the trainees and Meg and Claire. I walked in to what looked like a fight between the short wavy haired one and Teresa. I locked both of them down and glared at the pair,  
"I believe that an apology is in order," the other three looked at me shocked, "I won't have any fighting except that which is sparring, you will not fight to harm, is that understood?"  
They looked at me, ashamed, "Yes."  
"About time," said Meg, "You know they wouldn't listen to us."  
"I know," I sighed, and the two girls looked down, "If it isn't shameful enough, you have to fight your own classmates of whom have been through as much as you have. The only people that you should be able to trust are those closest to you because there is nothing left. Now then get over your differences and cut it out, I am supposed to teach you how to survive, keep fighting like that and you won't make it out of your graduation test alive."  
The girls all looked me in the eye and it seemed to me that what I'd said sunk in. I prayed that they would listen to me. I was getting sick of this. I'd never really understood why others felt like they had to fight,  
"You two," I indicated to the long braided haired girl and the girl with the yoma like ears, "come with me, you won't need your swords."  
  
After half an hour of searching I couldn't find what it was that I was looking for. Rabbit burrows were few and far between and I couldn't sent much else…I smelt what I sort, and held up a hand. The two girls had followed me dutifully keeping quiet.  
"We are close," my voice barely penetrated the night. The two looked at me and nodded grimly. I wondered if they had ever had any prior experience, but I decided to teach them as my father would have done. I placed my right ear to the ground, my ponytail resting in the dirt. I was listening to what the rabbits were doing under the ground. They were starting to move around, I listened to what the owls were doing and I deftly made a noise to bring the rabbits out. I has forgotten about Kate however and I froze as I saw where she was sitting, mouth dripping with saliva,  
"Kate," I hissed, "not there, they'll smell you and they'll run to the other hole."  
She gave me an unreadable look, and I raised an eyebrow. I sighed and held my arm still. Kate started to dig and I noticed that it was quite clear that she had done something. I sighed and waited to see what was next. I felt the rabbits run towards my hand and I acted both quickly and quietly, pulling up two large rabbits and killing them just as swiftly, they didn't even know that they had died it was so fast and painless. I flicked the dead rabbits towards them and caught a third. I threw it towards Kate and her jaws snapped the animal's neck with a loud crunching sound. Both the girls looked sickened by the sound and I got up, leading them back to where the others were. I felt something and then shifted to my left as something half ran past me. It was at that moment that the moon decided to light up that part of the forest and reveal a small boy. His eyes were wide with fright and as he looked up at us he turned and ran on wards, clearly he wanted to get away from the scary "silver-eyed witches" that his town would have been talking about.  
  
_My screams filled the air, but only for a few moments. The men put new clothing on me, but I didn't really care, this clothing was tight, clinging to my body and I thought I heard him say that he wanted to see if my hair would change colour faster than a 'normal' girl's. I was panting softly scared and praying that I wouldn't die, that I could be back with Kate, safe and sound. The man lifted me up and slung me over his shoulder and I ceased to scream even though it hurt ten times more. My hair fell over my face and hid it from their view. As the man walked away I tried to think clearly, although clear thoughts were forgone. I could hear the groan of the doors, and a loud wail of pain. I felt the floor within a few seconds, the wind knocked out of me as I was thrown back in to the cells and the all-consuming darkness._  
"Chloey, Chloey!" Kate cried, pulling me in to her arms gently cradling me and trying to chase away my pain. The two other girls were saying words of comfort, but I couldn't hold myself to awareness and the blackness consumed me…  
  
I showed the two how to properly kill the rabbits. They did as I asked of them, though I could sense that neither liked it. I sighed as Kate made more crunching noises, and the girl with the long braided hair jumped noticeably, making me think of a rabbit caught unawares. As we walked back to the others I could pick up on Noel's voice, she was whining.  
"They've been gone for ages Sophia," Noel complained loudly,  
"They'll be back soon." The short wavy haired girl, Sophia replied. I knew as much because she was the only girl there whose name I didn't know. Her yoki was confused, but I knew that she wasn't too worried,  
"They are close enough," Teresa's voice carried, "I think I can feel Irene and René, though I can't be too sure if Chloey is or isn't close."  
I smiled lightly; Teresa's skill had grown since I first saw her almost two years ago. I walked forward, suppressing my yoki with minimal effort.  
  
I entered the clearing with René and Irene behind me, though I didn't know who was who just yet, until Noel crashed into the braided haired girl crying, "René, you're back," then I knew who was who and committed their names to memory, as well as their yokis.  
  
Once I readied dinner the five girls ate happily. It was just enough watching them eat to remember what it was half like. Clearly the yoma hadn't completely drained their appetites enough yet. I watched René with care and noticed that she seemed to be quieter than the rest. She took everything in and regarded all information with caution. She was very focused and I found that she was reasonably smart, something that Teresa had on her side as well. I could see at least four of the girls making it to the top five ranks, but I wasn't sure, despite the fact that the girls were strong, I could feel that they were also weak too. I sighed and focused on my task at hand. I would teach these girls as much as I could.


	5. Chapter IV: The Number 5

# Chapter VI: The Number 5

  
Blades clash as I move swiftly to the left in my mind. René makes convincing strikes as Irene buffers for a time. I sit and watch them as they work on their drills. Sophia and Noel are at their usual fighting practice and Teresa is crossing blades with Meg. Many days had passed since the girls had eaten, the hunting not worth looking in to, and tempers were starting to fray. We entered the mountainous region of the area assigned to me. they wouldn't have much longer before they were pushed in to the ranks. I sighed as I scanned for yoki like normal. I had my back against my sword. Claire was standing as she called out drills. Meg jumped hard and I felt Teresa's yoki change. I jumped in between them before anyone could react. I slammed Teresa down on to her butt, she looked up shocked for a few seconds before realising that she'd raised her yoki. The others looked surprised for a few seconds and Kate let out a howl. I turned my head swiftly to the north and then I swore loudly,  
"FOLLOW ME!" I yelled.  
  
We were running rapidly. Meg, Claire, Teresa, Sophia, Noel, Irene and René all followed Kate and I as we ran as hard as we could. I could sense a large yoki so I raced forward towards it.  
  
We stopped to see a man with chin length brown wavy hair and I knew that he wasn't the sort that I would want to be taking on.  
"Well, well, Lars, look what we have here," the man smirked to his weaker companion before looking at me, "A little girl with no yoki."  
"I suggest that you find somewhere else to feed Chronos," I said softly, "I'm sure that you are more concerned with your own survival. I also know that you don't want me to report to the Organization as to where you are because most likely I'd be on the hit squad to take you out."  
Chronos and Lars both looked at me calmly,  
"And what would you do, little warrior?"  
"My hand would be forced, I would have to kill you," I say, "I'm sure you are aware that I could challenge even the abyssal of the North, Isley and defeat him."  
I allow enough yoki to show that they can feel it and the confidence suddenly disappeared to be replaced with fear. I lowered my yoki again,  
"Consider us gone." Chronos spoke, then they disappeared. I shook my head and sighed boredly, sure they could act tough but if they saw something stronger than themselves they turned and ran like all yoma in a way, it was irritating to say the least.  
"We'll camp here tonight." I said casting a quick glance towards the others. The trainees' faces showed expressions that I hated seeing; the fear in their eyes was annoying so I turned my back and shoved my sword in to the ground. I sat down hard and lowered my yoki beyond the point of being able to feel it any more  
  
The sun rose casting a golden glow on the top of the mountain. I heaved a sigh and got up shoving my claymore hard in to the sheath. I stank of blood and I hadn't bathed for days. I decided that the trainees would be safe with Meg and Claire as there weren't any yoki in the area. I walked slowly to the river some three sword lengths away and dumped both my amour and sword. I then threw my clothes unceremoniously on to some bushes nearby. I walked in to the water and I noticed that it was cold but it didn't bother me. I kept walking in to the water, the cold creeping up my legs, then to my waist and finally up my chest. The stigma that I had was different from the other warriors, instead of the gaping half stitched wound that the others had, I had a blacked almost dead flesh like scar. I lowered in to the water and I could sense the presence of another, René. _Strange, I thought that she was frightened like the others when my yoki was released._ I thought to myself. I rose and slowly stood to my full height in the water; it came up to about my neck and turned to face René. It was clear from the moment our eyes met that there was something that was bothering her. I got out of the water and my hair was sucked down so that it hung below my shoulder blades and my nipples. René stared at my scar; clearly she'd never seen a healed one before, indeed even Kate had flinched when she first saw it. Her gaze moved from my scar to my shoulders and I could sense confusion in her yoki. She seemed to be troubled by something though what I didn't know.  
"So that's what they saw." she said softly,  
"Yes that is what the bandits saw," I replied turning back towards the water, sloshing it as I walked, "my handler has seen it as your's will see that gaping wound that you have," I felt René flinch, "all warriors are the same, there are no difference. We have no modesty with our handlers despite how we're treated by them. You'll learn to get over it eventually."  
I wash quickly and walk over to my clothes. René suddenly grabbed my right arm. The old scar was facing upwards, so that she could see it. It was Kate's emblem. I sighed and picked up my clothes putting them on.  
"What's the scar on your arm?" René asked me, as Irene entered the clearing. I looked at the pair and sighed, they had their practice swords on their backs, but these ones were made so that they would feel the weight of the real sword, the cutting ability of the real sword but were un marked. A warrior didn't get her emblem until she was tested in her ability to kill yoma, as had been the case when I'd graduated almost three years ago. Of all the warriors I was the only one who, apart from Skylar could handle Hysteria, our new Number 1. I had been told to keep an eye on her so I did. I did as I was told, unlike Meg who gave Orsay wise cracks, or Claire who would often start Meg. I stopped the pair saying anything in front of the trainees other than what was needed. I didn't expect René or Irene to have such a strong desire to learn my sword technique as they had been doing last night…I stopped thinking and ranged, sensing whatever there was to sense. I looked as far as I could without any yoki rising to give me away. I could sense a few yoma heading towards a town and I sighed. It was a large group of yoma that I needed to take out. Duty was calling me, and I decided that the girls would benefit from having to face yoma. They would have to soon any way. I pulled on my amour as Teresa, Sophia, Noel, Meg and Claire entered the clearing.  
"Be ready to move out now," I say softly, "We have to get a move on."  
  
We pushed a hard pace and made it to the town well ahead of the yoma. I told the trainees to watch, listen and pay attention.  
"Normally you wouldn't have to face any yoma, as trainees for survival training, however, Meg Claire and I will be here to support you as there is enough yoma for you to practice on," I took a breath, "it will also show you where your training is at, I suggest that you take care and use your own style of fighting. I want two of you to one yoma, do you all understand?" They nodded, "Good, the yoma will be here in an hour, so rest up."  
I looked at the trainees and I could see that René looked a little nervous,  
"Don't be afraid," I told her, "remember you are not alone, I will be near enough to help if you need it," I raised my voice a bit more so that the others could hear me, "Should any of you feel that you aren't ready to take on the yoma yet then stay close to us and watch carefully, we will be able to help you as you need it."  
  
We sat for an hour and waited for the yoma. Sure enough there was a large group of them heading towards the town. The humans had been staring at us and muttering something to the lines of owing more than what they could ever hope to afford to repay when I decided to cut them off,  
"Do not feel obligated to pay, what we're doing here is simply passing through, and since there are yoma heading in this direction, we're going to kill them anyway," my voice was loud enough to be heard, but only just, "consider it thanks for some rooms tonight."  
The humans looked at me with relief, about the first time they'd ever done that in the time that I'd been a warrior. I didn't care, surely the Organization would help such humans…then I remembered what Orsay had drummed in to me when I was starting as a warrior, that towns didn't get helped by the Organization if they didn't pay, that they were left to fend for themselves if yoma attacked them again. I felt great sadness for the humans in that one moment, and then the masses of yoma arrived.  
  
I rushed forward, gripping my blade tightly and swung it easily, slicing the nearest four yoma clean in half,  
"Meg Claire, focus on the normal yoma, I'm going to have to take out the veracious eaters!" I cried as I could sense five awakened beings. It was the best that I could do to do what was right and honest, of course I wasn't going to say that they were awakened beings as I knew it was code to reassure the humans. I could sense René and Irene staying close to me, both reluctant to strike. I felt a yoma die and I knew that it was Teresa that killed it, Meg and Claire were earning their new ranks of 30 and 29 respectively, Claire's blade moving with great power. I cessed to function, and suddenly I let myself be guided by the awakened beings' yoki. My blade moved so fast that it disappeared before my own eyes, slashing the awakened beings apart. I thought that it was a shame that Skylar missed out on the fun, I would have been sure that she would be laughing like always and killing the awakened ones without getting a scratch, or perhaps gaping at me with her eyes wide as she took in the speed that I could move my blade to without yoki. By the time I'd finished with the awakened ones Meg and Claire and the trainees had almost finished with the yoma. I locked down the remaining yoma and cut them to pieces, blood gushed all over the square, and now that all the yoma were destroyed, humans came out from their houses and whispered with awed voices,  
"That small claymore sure was something, did you see how she finished those veracious eaters?" someone in the crowd spoke with hushed tones, "She must be really powerful, eh?"  
I ignored most of the humans bar two of them, and as they came over to us it was clear that they were the humans in charge of the town,  
"We would like to thank you for what you have done." the man said shakily, he was afraid, but grateful at the same time,  
"No matter, what we did here should not be spoken to the men in black, as far as I'm concerned, it will be as if the yoma were never here in the first place and that we killed them beyond the town's limits as they attacked our group." I looked the humans over, they were poorer than any town I'd ever been through, and that was a lot of towns.  
  
The humans gave us the best rooms that they had; I was surprised that they were so poor. The inn was in a bad way, but I said nothing. I rested in the bed and slowly drifted off to sleep, Kate asleep at the foot of the bed like she normally was.  
  
_I ran hard and fast, I wasn't going to let the yoma kill them, I would fight hard and give my best, but even as I was fighting something strange was going on, it was as if something had changed, it wasn't the first time, nor was it the last time that the thought had passed through my mind, but to pass at a time where I needed to focus wasn't good._  
  
Kate's howl woke me and I jumped up grabbing my claymore as swiftly as possible as something wasn't quite right. I half ran out of the inn and then stopped as I stared at none other than Hysteria herself. She was looking at me with her silver eyes and then ran at me. My blade blocked her's with a speed that she would never hope to match even if she was running as fast as she could. She had truly developed her illusion since we last crossed blades and it showed. Even so I still cut her without much effort. I didn't realise that there was an audience in the form of Meg, Claire and the trainees. Indeed I didn't really care in that moment I was close to making "The Elegant" Hysteria pay for what she had done barely six and a half weeks ago, and the way she became the Number 1 over Skylar, who remained as the Number 3 now as another girl had bumped her down. I gaped as Hysteria suddenly ran off, choosing not to continue trying to out blade me. I turned back towards Kate and she tilted her head,  
"Wow, I thought she'd've tried hard against you," Kate yawned loudly, "She didn't like the fact that she wasn't fast enough to out run your yoki-less sword speed Chloey."  
I looked at Kate, "She'll be back, that much I know, I doubt that she likes the fact that I can take the rank from her either, Number 1 is bad business, it's a bad rank to begin with, only those that are vain should have such a rank," I said frostily, "it warriors like those that are dangerous, something tells me that even if she were to leave me alone, there's no telling what she'll do if the trainees have more power than her, something that I won't let happen if I can help it. Fuck it Kate, I'm going to teach them everything, I don't care how fucking hard it is or if they won't listen to me, I still teach them what I can."  
"I thought as much Chloey," Kate grinned her wolfish grin, "you know what, I think they will listen, and they will learn, besides you need to rest mighty Number 5."  
"Stop it Kate," I sighed, "you know I'm not good enough to be a Number 5."  
"You are to me Chloey," she said, "so rest up, you'll need it."  
I sighed and slowly made my way back to the building. I walked up the corridor and half fell in to the bed, my brief battle with Hysteria having taken its toll on me. I thought I felt a strange air, but sleep took me at last.


	6. Chapter V: When I've had Enough

# Chapter V: When I've had Enough

  
_I tossed and turned, my head pounded and I felt like I wanted to be sick. I drew in a deep breath; I could feel the yoma twisting and burbling in my own body, as if trying to find a foot hold to shake my mind. I soon found myself throwing up the food that I had just eaten. I still felt like I was going to be sick. I'd been on my own, to be 'studied' by Dae. He was convinced that something had to happen to me, that something was going to be good to watch. I had been sick with fear, now that I was kept apart from Kate and I was starting to become weak. The door opened and I couldn't move. It had been a week since my hair had changed colour, and someone lifted me up in to the air, I hung limply from their shoulders. I could hear yet another metal door being opened, the sound was enough to make me throw up again, and I was flung on to the floor. I stayed on the floor, fighting the yoma side of my mind. Something lifted me up, gently and lay me on a bed, I thought that it might be Kate, but I couldn't really tell. I lay gasping for breath I felt weak. From the corner of my eye I thought I could see Kate huddled over as the pain lashed at her. I felt arms around me and I realised that it was Misty who was scrunched up.  
"It's going to be ok," said Kate, "it's going to be ok, we'll be fine."  
I could tell that she was close to me and I was going to open my mouth and say something when we all heard a wail coming from another cell.  
"Please kill me," the girl sobbed, "it hurts…it hurts…please kill me..."  
Then there was the thundering of footsteps, the loud scraping of the door that hurt my ears I barely had time to marvel at how sensitive my hearing had become when I heard the sound of footsteps stop.  
"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE BRAT!" a male voice roared, followed by another screech as the cell door was opened. A scream followed by pleading was heard,  
"N-no, let me go, I don't want that again, LET ME GO!" the girl cried,  
"Shut up," the man snapped, I could hear a clinking sound and I shuddered, "you shut up and do as I tell you!"  
I could hear the sound of the chains, if that was what it was being locked in to place,  
"NO!" the girl screamed again, "NO, PLEASE NO! STOP IT, PLEASE!"  
"I SAID TO SHUT UP," the man roared, "NOW YOU WILL DO AS I COMMAND, SHUT UP AND SPREAD!"  
I heard the girl crying as the chains were tightened, and then she was screaming in more pain as something was done to her. The man didn't say anything but it sounded like she'd been beaten. I heard her sobbing and I didn't understand. I could make out Kate's face enough to see that she was upset, though I didn't know why. I couldn't understand what had happened._  
  
I sat up; something told me that I needed to get up. I sighed as I looked at the sleeping forms of Meg, Claire, Teresa, Irene, Sophia, René and Noel. Only yesterday we'd stopped in the mountain pass, Orsay having given the trainees their own sets of amour and marked claymores. They were all warriors now and I was to guide them to their respective regions. Teresa was the Number 8, which failed to surprise me, Irene was given the rank of 15, while Sophia and Noel were both 23 and 24 respectively and René was given rank 25. They all acted like the amour chaffed them, as if they'd not worn anything like it before. Since several months had passed since we killed the yoma in the town that didn't pay, and Hysteria had crossed blades with me, we'd been traveling quite hard as Orsay had given me many jobs since. I knew though that I would be meeting the next group of girls that were to receive survival training. I sighed and sheathed my claymore. The girls would get up soon, and there was something that I wanted to sort out _before_ they woke up.  
  
My amour clanked as I walked on ahead, I followed the deep yoki, making sure that she couldn't sense my own yoki. I could sense that this wasn't something that was normal, and I didn't like what I could sense. I slowly crept forwards and sure enough the warrior was fighting her yoki. She was upset I could tell as much,  
"Are you alright?" I asked her. The warrior's face turned towards me and I almost gasped in shock. It was Amelia, the one whose jaw I'd smashed as a trainee, the one who insisted that she be called Amy,  
"I-I-I can't fight it…can't stop it…damn that…" she groaned with effort and I could see that she was fighting it; I could sense that it was going out of control. My blade was in my hand, drawn, and yet I couldn't swing it. I couldn't end her life even though I knew that killing her would be the right thing, that she was losing control over the yoma and it was beating her. And yet she fought it still. I sheathed my blade and pulled her yoki back as hard as I could, pulling it back as hard as I could. I almost thought that I'd failed but when I felt Amy's arms tightly around me, sobbing something told me that she'd made it back.  
"Th-thank you," she sobbed, "th-th-thank you Ch-Ch-Chloey."  
"Please it was nothing." I murmured,  
She looked at me with tears in her eyes,  
"You saved me Chloey," she was shaking, "you saved my life…you didn't have to do that, you could have left it. you could have just killed me-"  
I cut her off with a glance. I rose slowly and looked around me for any trace of other yoki in the area and slowly withdrew away from her. Something strange was happening in the distance and I wanted to be sure that I could discern what it was.  
"You'd better hide Amy," I said without looking at her, "head towards Toulouse, you will not be found if you hid there. Go before I change my mind and I kill you."  
I felt her yoki run away from me. I waited for a few minutes and headed back to the others. Teresa was up, her amour on and her sword sheathed. René was putting her amour on and Irene was stretching. Sophia and Noel were both still sleeping and Meg and Claire were looking around the clearing, most likely for me. Kate let out a loud bark and I laughed softly. She turned her head towards me and ran. There was a short commotion as Sophia and Noel both woke up and rushed to get their amour on. By the time everyone had their blades sheathed, I was guiding them in to Teresa's territory.  
  
After I'd guided each girl to her region, I returned to my own area. I was tired and as I settled near the river I wondered what was ahead. I could sense Amy hiding her yoki near Toulouse as I'd told her, so I knew that she was safe. Teresa had killed at least three yoma already. I sighed as I set my amour down. I lay in the dirt and I slept.  
  
When I woke, Kate was curled up by my side, while Meg and Claire were both calmly looking at something that I couldn't see. I got up carefully and I saw Orsay had clearly been waiting for me to get up. I pulled my amour on and sheathed my blade in readiness.  
"You are to watch a hunt in the upper part of Alphonse," he said, "I believe that you will be sensing for Dae," I shuddered involuntarily; I hated Dae with a passion. Orsay continued, "You will need to arrive as swiftly as you can."  
I rose to my feet, lightly brushed Kate's flank and turned north, Meg and Claire both got up as well and I heard Orsay sigh,  
"Clean yoma up in the towns you go through, Number 5." he commanded.  
  
Each of the towns that I passed through was inhabited by frightened humans or inhabited by yoma, there were always multiple yoma and I cleaned out two yoma nests on my way to Alphonse. I sighed as I came through yet another town. Ten yoki pulsed in the area. Ten yoma would be boring as I'd already dealt with yoma nests of at least fifty or more. I sighed as I tugged at the yoki of the yoma and made them all come forward. I walked past the group and slashed all their heads off without bothering to look at the destruction that was behind me. Humans screamed as I walked out of the town, nothing was going to stop me getting to Alphonse. Apparently the new Number 2, Bloody Agatha was going to be leading the hunt. I felt sorry for poor Skylar that she had to deal with Agatha whenever the top five were called together. I heard that Skylar and Agatha were both full on and trying to kill each other whenever the two were near each other. Agatha wasn't as powerful as Skylar and all the warriors knew it. No one had been able to sense my yoki. Most of the warriors had learned to fear me and my name. I heard the whispered rumours that the others would go on with. And I knew that they were going to say things about me regardless of what I wanted to have said about me.  
  
Our amour clanked as we walked along the snow drifts. Alphonse was the frozen land of the north. The place where the abyssal one The Silver Eyed King Isley resided, the place that I knew was the death of warriors. Or obviously awakenings…I guessed that the north was a region that was filled with almost all problems to speak of and more. I sighed as the cold air bit in to my small body. It was cold and I was wet. Kate was doing her best not to say that it was cold. I found Pieta with ease, I sighed as the bitter wind cut in to me. I was forced to stay in Pieta and I grabbed a think fleecy blanket and cut it to help Kate keep warm. She blended in with the snow, almost disappeared if it wasn't for the blanket that I made her. The blizzard blew on and I knew that the warriors wouldn't be travelling in this foul weather; the yoki of the team of four weren't too far from where I was. I could sense one powerful yoki; it was deep, but uneasy. There were two average yoki and one that was weak, but she was powerful and hiding her yoki so that the younger or weaker warriors wouldn't be threatened by her power.  
  
I knew who it was. It was Agatha, and I doubted that she cared for her younger and weaker comrades. It was for that reason alone that Orsay'd ordered me to watch them. I kept walking parallel to the hunting party. I didn't know where they were hunting, but I knew that I could sense where they were going. I could feel an average strength yoki belonging to an awakened being. The hunt would have seemed laughable, but I said nothing and trumped up to where I was commanded.  
  
Sure enough, wrapped in a think black cloak was Dae. I knew it was him. I heaved a sigh and said softly, "The warriors are resting south of the target."  
He didn't turn, which I was grateful for, the last thing I needed was to look at his disgusting face. I kept my focus on the warriors' collective yoki and the yoki of their target. Dae was murmuring to himself as I slowly began to look for somewhere to sit that wasn't covered in a blanket of snow. The cold wind was annoying and I knew that Kate was cold. I waited to see what would happen next and just when I thought that something was amiss, Dae spoke,  
"It seems that there is much to be accounted for, which warrior leads?" he asked me  
"Number 2, Bloody Agatha." I snapped, as if he didn't know already. Meg turned her head towards me and Claire looked shocked. I didn't care, I hated Dae and avoided saying anything if possible.  
  
The warriors had stopped for a bit and seemed to be settled. Agatha was quiet for not the first time. I waited to see what she would do, but I didn't think that the judging would be really important. I looked over to the left of me and noticed that there was another, more powerful awakened being. Whatever it was it was fighting something fierce and I felt Skylar's yoki. The battle was tough and I realised that Skylar was on her own. I ignored the looks of shock on the other's faces as I ran to help Skylar.  
  
The snow blocked my progress and as I ran it slushed rather than crunched. I could see why warriors hated the place. The movement soothed me, and gave me something to do. I charged through the trees and sure enough there was an awakened being shooting out spines all over the place. Skylar had put the two younger warriors in the trees to spare them from more damage. I could see that she'd lost an arm and was fighting with just her left hand. I cursed inwardly and focused on the monster's yoki. Its attacks spluttered for a second and then it raced towards me. I ran forward and jumped off the ground. As I jumped I heard Skylar call out, "Stay back you two."  
I ignored her and pulled my blade while I was still in the air.  
  
The monster was hideous, I could see that most of its body was made of what looked like hard shelly amour. It looked like an oversized bug and as I slashed down and cut off its arm, I felt Skylar behind me.  
"Chloey?! What are you doing here?!" she cried in shock,  
"No time for that, we've got a monster to take care of, you had better start either reattaching your arm or regenerating it. I don't care which, just do it. I'll distract it for you."  
"What the…" I heard a warrior come forwards, she had large gashes along her chest that were healing slowly. She was an offensive type based on her yoki and her hair was short, only down to her chin and platted. I looked towards the monster and focused on its yoki. It was strong, I knew that it was strong. I tilted my head as it regarded me and I felt a cold feeling down my spine. I knew who this monster was. I knew it.  
  
The ice wind played with my hair and froze my small body as I gazed upon the warrior that I had thought was dead.  
"Olivia." I couldn't believe it, but the yoki was one that I'd seen before, when I graduated. At first I didn't want to admit it, but as the being rose I realised that I hadn't really focused on her appearance. She was like a lizard not a bug, and I noticed the absence of the wind and falling snow, but that didn't matter to me. All that mattered was the awakened being before me the warrior who had said that I would be a single digit. I had always wondered how she'd ended up, where she was and if she'd died a good death. Now I had my answer, she was an awakened being. I would end this, I would do for her what no one had done. As I leapt, she tried to dodge me, but I pulled at her yoki so that she wouldn't move and I swung my blade as fast as I could, making her head fall with a resounding thud.  
  
I turned as I felt Agatha's yoki and ran without so much as saying good bye. I had to reach and stop her from attacking her comrades. I managed to return to where Kate and the others were waiting. Dae had spun around and was looking at me. I pushed myself not to shudder and said calmly,  
"My comrades were in trouble to the south of us, and I assisted them."  
"I see." Dae smirked,  
I glared at him and his smirk remained.  
  
Agatha was about to attack her team mates when the awakened being decided to show itself. I knew who this battle was going to end and I'd had enough. I turned away again and I decided that I would one day leave the Organization for the freedom that one could have, however limited it might be from the foul men that we worked for. I paused as something strange happened, it seemed that for once in the entire time that I'd been here, something interesting was about to happen. I turned back towards Agatha's hunting party as the battle began.


	7. Chapter VI: The Truth About Chloey and Kate

# Chapter VI: The Truth About Chloey and Kate

  
_I knew that what I was doing was wrong, I knew it, but I wasn't going to miss the opportunity presented to me. I could feel a grin on my face as I knew what was next. Teresa had it coming, she should have known no to leave herself open like that. I crept up to her sleeping form, silent and still as my father had taught me to be. Not even Teresa or Claire knew that I was there. I wasn't supposed to be up late, but I wanted to. I wanted to get Teresa back for what she'd done and I wanted to get her back good. I gripped the slimy frog in my hands, I knew that Teresa hated the creatures, so when I found one I followed it and caught it with my bare hands. It didn't like me holding it, but it was quiet as I was gentle. I could feel the floor with my bare toes, the air was hot and heavy and the crickets were singing. Kate snored and rolled over; the pale moon light lit her face, her long blond hair over her eyes. Teresa was the bed next to Kate; with Claire just a stone's throw from her, the bed across the room. I crept past Kate's bed and lightly placed the frog on Teresa's stomach. It wouldn't be long now, I knew until she woke up. The frog hopped along Teresa's stomach as I backed away in to the shadows. She stirred and then I could make out her shape,  
"AH!" Teresa screamed loudly as she realised that there was a frog on her. Claire dived out of bed and Kate yelled  
"What the hell Teresa, what's your problem?"  
"Fucking Chloey put a fucking frog on my gut!" I giggled a little, too soft to be heard and our mother stormed in. She had a candle and I made it looked like I'd been woken. It worked because my mother said loudly, "Teresa you will hold your tongue and be quiet and I do not appreciate being woken in the middle of the night without reason,"  
Claire squawked as she fell on to the floor. I let out a loud yawn,  
"Go to sleep, all of you," she snapped, as was her custom, she stormed out of the room and then father walked in. He had a candle as well, it made him look old and tired, "Now, now girls," his deep soothing voice could calm any unhappy pup, and it worked on us just as well, "It's very late, I know that you're excited about the upcoming wedding Teresa but you must rest, I want you all to be your best," he looked around the room and Kate walked over to my bed, "Kate…" his voice was firm,  
"I couldn't sleep," Kate replied, "I don't mind Chloey; at least she's quieter than others I know,"  
My father chuckled and shook his head, "Very well, be sure to have her ready tomorrow then, she will need to look like a little lady for her sister's wedding,"  
"Yes sir," Kate smiled. She was older than Teresa, but she stayed with us, for reasons that I didn't know. My father was particularly fond of Kate, though I didn't know why. My birthday was in a week, and would be celebrated accordingly, after Teresa got married. My father said that I would have a special gift for my birthday and Teresa was jealous. I was my father's favourite, I knew that I was his favourite daughter, but it didn't matter to me. Kate started singing my lullaby and I slowly closed my eyes. Victory was so sweet when no one else knew except you and the person you were getting back. As I fell to sleep I could almost swear I heard Kate say, "Goodnight my precious baby", but she could have said sister for all I knew. My head hit the pillow as Kate's arms circled me gently._  
  
The warriors moved left and right of the awakened being and hadn't made a single stroke of their swords. I could feel that it was getting goaded in to action, made to fight. I could also feel the despair of the weaker warriors as they were fighting as hard as they could to drive the monster back towards Agatha as she lazily fought it. I knew that the warriors meant nothing to her and that she didn't care about what she was doing. Anything that made blood was Agatha's plaything. Comrades included. She didn't care about the fight and wanted the ground splashed with red and purple. She didn't care…she didn't care at all.  
  
There was some progress, one of the weaker warriors had made a good powerful stroke, luckily for that warrior she managed to dodge the attack of the awakened being. She was lucky to have her comrades to back her up. I felt Skylar head towards the clearing, but I didn't think that she could pick up my yoki; she would have picked up on Claire's or Meg's yoki. That had to be the only reason. My yoki was suppressed tighter than Rafaela's was. I could vaguely sense her presence, something on the edge of my perception, something that I could sense, but not really read. I decided to look away from the battle and Skylar running towards us and what I could sense far away from where I was. I could sense Luciela's yoki deep in the south; she was quietly feeding and not doing all that much two powerful males, Isley the Silver Eyed King of the north and Rigaldo the Silver Eyed Lion King were both resting peacefully in a town in the north. The humans wouldn't have noticed in the slightest that they had awakened beings walking around with them as they lived their lives. It amazed me that the humans didn't even know or sense that something was strange in the air. I didn't really care what was happening around me Kate huffed and whined loudly, her snout pushed in to my leg. I was lost in the folds of yoki around me. At some point I felt an awakened one die. Agatha's target no doubt, it was the yoki that was closest to where we were. Now that I was focusing on what was around me, I was feeling more than I ever thought I could. I didn't have to be close as I was. I was having a hard time reading Agatha. I could feel her start to move on to the younger warriors, so I pulled at her yoki hard. I somehow heard what the others were saying through their yoki,  
"Shit the rumours are true, run away from her, she'll kill us!" one of the warriors screamed fear in her yoki, though it was far away from me, far enough that most warriors wouldn't have felt it, or heard the warrior. I moved Agatha's yoki; it was very easy for me to make her strike miss the warriors. They ran away, towards us for some reason. Then I realised that I was subconsciously pulling them away from her to save them. And they wanted to get away. Agatha was furious and she aimed at the warriors. I pulled at her yoki again and the warriors were closer,  
"They come," I said dully. Dae gaped at me and then just as I thought there was the sound of crashing amour and yelling voices. The warriors were close now. If they made it to Dae they would have a chance to live. The clanking sound came closer and it wasn't long before two short haired warriors ran over, deep cuts on their bodies, the sign that a claymore had been slashing them. The last warrior ran forwards, her long hair red with blood and blood stains on her uniform. She was panting heavily, and coughing out blood. She hacked up more blood and was standing shivering with fear. I could feel it before any of them could even say a word,  
"She's fast approaching her limit," I almost whisper,  
Then Agatha loses it completely.  
"She's gone," I say,  
"Oh, what was that?" Dae asks,  
"Agatha has just awakened," I reply, my voice cold and hard. The others look shaken and Dae makes a face but he doesn't say anything. I sigh and turn on my heal. There was no point in being here and I could sense much more anyway. Agatha was gone, but it was the Organization's fault. No matter how I looked at it, it was their fault.  
  
It took three days of solid travelling to get towards my region. Meg and Claire were both happy to be out of the north and Kate had been rather quiet. I didn't really worry too much.  
  
The first town that I passed through was full of humans. I walked through the town as quickly as I could, I didn't care about what was going on. I heard them whisper and carry on, not that I cared for them. Kate walked by my side. She didn't say anything either and I doubted that she wanted to talk in front of the humans. I could feel a faint yoki out of the town. My pace remained the same and as I left the outskirts of the town, it was clear that the yoki was that of a male. A male warrior. I stopped dead in my tracks to make sure that I wasn't making a mistake. He was there and he was strong, but I was stronger than he was. I walked over to where he was hiding, cautiously. I saw him resting with his back on his sword, his face had a scar on it and he was wearing amour. He was resting with his back on a claymore. I walked closer, my amour clanked and he jumped.  
"What the fuck!" he yelled, "How in the world did a little runt manage to find me,"  
I felt his attack aiming for my neck.  
  
**CLANG**!  
  
I felt as if the was easily heard from far away. I lifted my own blade up, twisting his out of the way in the same token. I slammed the flat of my blade in to his gut and he fell down.  
"Fuck you, you little bitch," he groaned, "fucking little-"  
"Shut up," I hiss before he could say much else, "I might be inclined to spare you if you have manners,"  
"Still makes you a bitch, you know that," he laughed, "fuck me, I should have seen a little power house. The Organization's done themselves a favour,"  
"No they haven't," I say softly as Meg and Claire both appear,  
"Well, well, there's the two yoki that I felt," he snorted, "I'm not any good if I can't feel the single digit, although it seems to me that you don't know who I am…almost stranger is that I haven't seen any male warriors since dear little Riful lost herself,"  
"The Organization stopped the production of male warriors after Riful became the Number 1. There are no male warriors," I tell him,  
"I see," he gets up, "you've got a lethal right arm kid, I would hate to have to face that for real,"  
Meg walked forwards,  
"So what, she's the Number 5 after all," Meg's sharp tone makes the male laugh again,  
"Sure, I won't expect anything less than that, she's worth the top five, I would have thought a Number 1, but I guess the Organization is keeping the kid back for a reason. Or I'm not Eric the Seer," he chuckled,  
"I know you!" I realised at once that I'd heard of him, "you're one of the last unawakened warriors!"  
"Heh, so you do have brains," he laughed, "I guess I'll see you around kid,"  
He disappeared swiftly, but I could follow his yoki. It didn't matter to me anyway what was going on.  
  
After the dramatic meeting with Eric, things settled down to a slow and quiet pace. Too quiet in fact. Kate stayed by my side, more so than ever before. She didn't want me to be alone. My thirteenth birthday passed with yet another awakened being hunt. This time I led. It was one that I could have taken on my own. I almost wondered what Eric was doing near the area, but dismissed the thought. He wasn't going to get too close to me any way.  
  
The cold from Alphonse travelled down to the south and the bitter cold wasn't as bad as what it was there. I continued around my region. I was resting on my sword when I could hear the clanking of amour. I curled tighter as the cold was irritating me. I was keeping my yoki suppressed as low as I could, tight like a drum. I didn't bother to even look up, I knew who it was without having to look,  
"To what do I owe this surprise, Skylar?" I asked,  
"Well, well, it seems that the rumours are true, miss know it all," Skylar snorted, "your perception has improved quite a bit little mouse,"  
"Hold that thought," I say tensely,  
Skylar looks at me with her silver eyes asking an unspoken question,  
"It's all fine," I say. Really I thought I felt something, but I mustn't have felt a thing different,  
"Ah, I see that you've arrived already Number 3, well, well, what an interesting sight," a nasal voice drawled through the trees, "no matter you have work to do, see to it,"  
"Yes Sir," Skylar huffed and saluted sarcastically, I giggled softly,  
"Now then, you are required back at headquarters Number 5," it was none other than Rubel, "you are to assess the newest trainees and take them through survival training,"  
I got up, sheathed my blade and started walking. Meg and Claire weren't too far behind me. yet again I would have to deal with trainees, I couldn't see why that was the case. I wondered why I was the one to do it. perhaps it was to do with the fact that I'd trained Teresa, Irene, Sophia, Noel and René. I wondered if there was a reason for it. for me to have to deal with the trainees. I sighed as my amour clanked, slowly but surely I was going to get to the bottom of this, if it was the last thing that I did.  
  
_The small warrior walked on wards, she was aware that she was being followed, by another, older warrior than the one that she'd encountered, he was tall and lithe, his blade sat in the holder of his amour, he was glad that he was keeping his yoki low, though he knew that she knew that he was there. He would have begged the God of Rabona to hide him, but the girl was clearly "eyes" and there was nothing else to it. he had seen her as a small child clinging to her rather pretty mother, who was more like a girl than an actual mother. Now when he'd seen the small warrior she was with two warriors, both of whom were weaker than she was and she treated like sisters. Of course he'd seen the white wolf, how could he not,_  
"I will keep my promise, Thomas deLupia," the old warrior said to the air, "I have been keeping an eye on your favourite daughter and wife, I should have been closer when they were fighting the being, but I didn't realise until I felt the sorrow. I will never abandon her again, no matter how far she might go, or how close I am to being killed,"  
With that he keep close to the young warrior. She wasn't as tall as her mother, nor did she have her mother's body, not that the mattered to him. She had Thomas' face and shoulders, as well as his way with animals it seemed. The warrior brushed his forehead and lifted his hood, it was time to risk it, he was not going to let that child out of what little sensing range he had. He was going to stay as close as he could to Thomas' last daughter.  
  
I felt a presence following me the entire way to Sutafu. I didn't care that I was being followed, indeed I knew that he had been following me for whatever reason. I didn't know who he was but I knew that there was no malice in his yoki, I could trust his presence. I kept walking and I soon found a good campsite to sleep and settled down for the night.  
  
I had a strange dream, one that I didn't understand. I could see much, and I heard whispers that were too faint for me to hear. It was a first that I couldn't hear them. I ran forwards trying to understand what was going on, but my body wouldn't move to my will. I was running and trying to find something.  
  
I woke with a start, Meg and Claire were both asleep, Claire snoring slightly. Kate was sitting up, she caught my eye and I realised that she had something that she wanted to tell me,  
"Kate," I began,  
She looked at me, "There's something that you needed to hear Chloey," I look at Kate, surprised by what she was saying, "I know that this might be hard to believe, and I also want you to know that you are the dearest person that was in my life, I would give everything to see you safe,"  
"Kate…what are you saying?" I ask, my voice a soft whisper,  
"I am the one that bore you, Chloey," she looked at me with her almost human-like green eyes, "I know you might find it hard to believe, but I wanted to keep you safe. If the Organization had found out that I was the one that carried you, I would have been killed,"  
I freeze in shock, Kate was…my mother…it was a bit hard to understand, I just couldn't work it out. I always thought that Kate was sixteen when I was eight, but now I wasn't so sure. Kate continued sadly,  
"I wanted to protect you, and so too did your father," she walked over to me and sat down, "I'm so proud of you Chloey, you are a good warrior,"  
"I don't…understand," I say, my brow furrows,  
"It is hard to understand for you Chloey," Kate looks at me calmly, "I was older than I said I was,"  
"So you lied to the Organization's men," I say, "to protect me,"  
"Yes I did," said Kate, "I did it so that you wouldn't be alone when you needed me,"  
I start sobbing as I realise what Kate…what my mother had to do. Her love for me so strong that she would lie to protect me, "why…why didn't you or father say anything before?" I sob, my small voice choked up, "And why did you let me call you by your name?"  
"Because I was young when you were born," said Kate…my mother, "I wasn't sure what was right. Both your father and I didn't expect you to be born when you were, but we were very happy at the same time, Claire and Teresa were still your sisters anyway, so at the time it was just easier. I don't mind you calling me by my name because that is how any one refers to me, and how I wish to be referred to. I much rather that you were comfortable, if you prefer calling me by my name then that's fine,"  
I hug her tightly suddenly overcome. I am careful of her fragile body, and she whispers in my ear, "My love doesn't change Chloey," she then sounds serious, "I want you to be careful, the Organization are bad people Chloey, don't show them how powerful you are, as they will only use you, and once they're finished discard you and the warriors that you know. Be careful, please,"  
I look in to her green eyes and I know that her heart is filled with concern for me,  
"I know Kate," I say, "I will be careful,"  
I say this as the sun rises up in to the sky. The birds make their usual chatter and songs fill the air. It isn't long before Meg and Claire are both up, Kate barking at them, ("Come on slow pokes we have a lot of ground to cover,") and then we were ready to travel onwards to Sutafu. I knew that I had a task and a half ahead of me. I could sense out of the corner of my range the flaring of yet another yoki. Something was going to happen, and it wasn't going to be long until yet another costly battle was started again. I looked to Kate, and I realised that her determination was what had kept me going. I decided that whatever was going to happen, I would do my best to please her. I was still in shock that she was my real mother. I knew that I would have to accept that as well as I could. I sheathed my sword and as we walked, I felt the older warrior's yoki move with us. I hoped that I would be making my father proud. I prayed that the God of Rabona would protect me for the first time in my life, that I wouldn't lose any more friends and that I would be able to teach the younger trainees.


	8. Chapter VII: Meeting The Strong

# Chapter VII: Meeting The Strong

  
  
After the shocking revelation from Kate that she was my real mother, I was doing my best to keep my head in the same place. I was shaking and for the first time in my life several puzzled pieces were beginning to fall in to place. I know knew that my father had loved Kate as she was his second wife. It didn't explain why my father rarely touched Kate and why the woman that I thought was my mother was always flirting with my father. I didn't want to ask Kate because I didn't want to pry. One thing it did explain was why Teresa and Claire were scared of Kate and why when Kate told them to do something that they usually did it. I wondered what else I would need to know to understand the past. It wasn't what I knew or understood. I couldn't stop wondering what my father was meant to give me for my eighth birthday. For some reason we were travelling through Lido, and I noticed that there were a group of girls playing that were wearing rags. Lido was going through some tough times it seemed. Especially if the children were in rags. I looked around me and I noticed a group of humans actually look at me,  
"It's her, deLupia!" an older man approached me, "Please, help us, a yoma…"  
I shook my head, "No yoma is here, you are clean. There are no yoma in the area either,"  
A ragged woman walked over to us, "Are you the child of Thomas deLupia?"  
"I am, and you all threw me out," I said coldly, I hated the fact that Lido had even gotten to this point, that the humans looked poor,  
"And realise our mistake," said the old man, "We should have known that you would be angry at us, but please, have mercy Claymore, by the God of Rabona may we be forgiven in your eyes,"  
I froze,  
"So you'll face starvation because there are no hunters left," I knew that I had hit my mark when several people hung their heads in shame, I closed my eyes and screwed my nose. I knew that they were suffering, and deep down in my heart I hated it. But I was ordered to return to Sutafu as soon as possible…"Fine," I say, "Have the fires ready by the time I return,"  
I flung my amour on the ground and took my blade with me, "Meg, Claire see to it that they do as asked," I say without turning to look, "I won't be long; they should have some salt or something to preserve the meat,"  
  
Kate followed me, "I'm surprised at you," she said, "I thought you'd leave them high and dry like they left you,"  
"I can't do that Kate," I replied I noticed that she didn't get mad at me calling her by her name, "you know as well as I that it isn't right. They paid a fortune in getting rid of yoma and now they're going to slowly starve to death because they don't have a hunter."  
"I see," said Kate, "you are truly your father's daughter,"  
  
An hour passed and I had caught enough to get them through a month. There was more than enough game to for me to hunt around the area. I estimated that it would take some time before the game was killed out, especially if I did the hunting as needed. The humans were happy and began preparing the meat. I told them to keep it, sell the skins if they didn't need them. I knew though that the mountains would leave the humans cold at night, so I had caught animals with a fair amount of fur on their bodies so that they could have something to keep them warm in the fierce mountain winter. Once I was sure that all was fine I made a hard pace to Sutafu. There was no way that I was going to stop now.  
  
I covered a lot of ground with Meg and Claire. Kate was now up to my hips with her head, her strides were large and she could keep up with ease. Meg and Claire were both more than happy to keep close. The other yoki that was following us didn't give up. He kept up easily too. I didn't know who it was that was, it certainly wasn't Eric, I knew as much. I rested with Meg, Kate and Claire. I didn't know the signature at all.  
  
_He took a deep breath; he was almost worn out by the deLupia girl's pace. She moved fast. The child was truly kind. She had relented to Lido's plight. He had seen her hunt and was amazed that she was like Thomas, she was quick to choose the prey that was going to feed the town for as long as possible._  
  
The old warrior sat. He pulled his hood down, revealing an intense silver eyed gaze that if any was looking him in the eyes they would say that he would see in to their soul. His hand brushed the piercing in his left eyebrow. He was near enough to see the deLupia girl. Closer than last time. She was pretty; indeed she was a sweet child. He saw the white wolf. It looked left and right, and once it was sure that the other warriors were asleep, she walked over to him,  
"I see that you've been keeping an eye on my daughter, Christopher," the voice was familiar to him,  
"Kate," he said, the name wasn't one that he'd said since he'd seen the small warrior when she was born.  
"I know, it's strange things that have happened. I want you to have her hand; I want you to care for her when I can't be there for her, please, when she is old enough take her as your wife, I won't have that floating swearing warrior near her,"  
"As you wish Lady deLupia," Christopher felt that talking to the wolf was strange, but he decided that if she approved of him,  
"Her father wanted you to and you know it Lord Christopher the Strong," the wolf replied, Chris froze. Only the real Lady deLupia would know about the promise that he'd made Thomas,  
"So you are a human soul in a wolf's body," he said, "well then, how'd that one happen?"  
"I don't know," replied Kate, "all I remember was that Chloey was deeply affected by my death that I didn't want her to be alone ever. I know that she misses her father as well, I also know that you had better let her at least meet you,"  
"I am working on it," Chris sighed, "not so easy when that girl of yours can sense me out easily,"  
"All the more reason to see her, hmm,"  
"I'll do it when the time is right, for both of us,"  
  
The sun rose and I got up. I figured that Kate was out hunting, I couldn't hear her any way. I pulled on my amour and sheathed my sword as Kate walked in to the clearing, with a tall robed man following her. He was annoyed about something. I could sense it too well. Kate walked over to me and turned to face the man,  
"Alright, then," she said,  
He sighed and took off his hood. I was surprised. He was taller than I was, but not by much. His eyes were intense and silver. His pale blond hair was short, it came above his eyebrows and his ears were more human shaped than Eric's were. I felt a deep blush creep up my cheeks. I was red and normally I didn't blush. He was something that I didn't expect,  
"Uh…" I squeaked, "I…I'm the Number 5,"  
I wanted the ground to swallow me up, but Chris chuckled,  
"So, you've got my former rank," I look in to those eyes and I see that he just doesn't care, "After Isley awakened, I was the last male, I was the Number 2 when Riful was the Number 1,"  
"Oh," I say, I am not quite sure what to make of him,  
"Don't mind me, Miss Chloey," he smiled, "if you need me don't hesitate to find me, I'll be in Lido,"  
I gaped after him as he left. It took me several seconds to realise that I was shaking with a feeling that I'd never known before. I wondered what I felt and why I wanted him to just kiss me or something.  
  
The rest of the journey see Meg and Claire simultaneously ask if I'm ok. I don't say anything, but I can't get Chris out of my head. Lido, he said that he would be in Lido if I needed him. I stop for a moment and I begin to wonder what he means.  
  
I push forward to Sutafu, the weather was neither here nor there, but the moment that I arrive in the wastelands that is Sutafu, a dust storm blows up, making it hard to go forward. We push on, as we were expected to travel through such conditions. The men would be angry if I was late. I'd always been early or right on time, never late.  
  
The buildings slowly rose up from the dust storm. I could feel the new Number 10 as I walked forward. Her name was Rhiannon, and she had yet to prove herself as an anti-warrior. She was weak, far too weak, but just out of training so she hadn't had time to learn how to be one. The Organization was too shorthanded. I'd been all over the damned continent and back in the year since Luciela had awakened. I felt such a bitter taste in my mouth against the men of the Organization. I knew then in that moment I would leave them, I would become the deserter. I would leave them high and dry.  
  
The usual reporting was done and then I was told to head down to the training ground. As I walked down I probed all of the trainees, none of them were strong enough, and I knew that they would be shoved in to the ranks. I felt a wave of sadness for the girls that were standing, waiting for a warrior to choose them to follow them. As I walked up, the trainees all looked at me. they were afraid, that much was clear. I sighed and chose ten girls. The hander looked relieved. I didn't care, but I would train them the best that I could. They weren't even up to the metal blades that they were given. I knew that they were truly being pushed forward, accelerated training programme to try to meet the demand for warriors to take out yoma.  
  
They stayed with me for three months, and then were given ranks hastily. They were mostly 40s and lower 30's. I was given a new task. I was to watch an awakened hunt down in the south. I'd been through Lido three times and knew that the villagers needed more supplies to get them in to the spring weather. Summer was going to be soon. I hunted and carried what the people needed.  
  
This time when I came through I could see that the humans were starting to look healthier, that the children weren't in rags as much. I could see that things were looking up. I soon discovered that Lido was beginning to trade with other towns. I knew that they were beginning to fix up the old church, most likely it was because they wanted to get things sorted. I saw Chris every single time that I went to Lido, mostly we talked, and it was easier for me to talk to him. I began to gain confidence to talk about things that had happened, what jobs I had and who was working with who. I also enjoyed his calm analysis of the warriors that he could sense, or the ones that he'd seen in action. He told me that Isley that had deliberately awakened to settle the score with the already awakened comrades. He joked about several of his comrades in good humour, and I laughed with him sometimes.  
  
As I walked in to Lido I could see changes again. It looked like the old church was finally restored. I walked in to the building that I used to hate as a child, mostly because I was forced to sit and wait for services to end. They had changed the inside, a stained glass window held a yoma being killed by none other than me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Me killing a yoma, I guessed that was fair enough, but there was another window depicting a priest of Rabona and holy symbols in front of the pews. On the table up the front was a beautiful pewter cross. I saw that my family's pew was still in its place with our name engraved in to the aisle seat. deLupia was in the emblem of a wolf. it seemed that they'd added my own Organization emblem to it, the wolf leading down to a claymore broad sword with my own personal emblem on it. I blinked when I saw this change. I didn't think that they even noticed that I had an emblem from the Organization.  
  
I walked to the place that I used to sit as a little girl. I looked at the cross and I felt overcome with emotion, I cried, for the first time in my life since everything had happened, I cried. I wanted my life the way it was, with Teresa and Claire, Kate my father. I cried and I truly spoke to God in prayer for the first time in my life. I prayed from the depths of my heart, that I would be a strong warrior that I would be able to protect the ones I loved, that I would be able to find a way out from the Organization. I wanted to be free.


	9. Chapter VIII: Chloey's Plan

# Chapter VIII: Chloey's Plan

  
_Breaths mingle, mist rises and falls. She pants with fear as the pain threatens to tear her apart. Lisa gasped and Misty was gasping for breath. I was lying on my side, the worst of the pain receding as the final night became nearly complete. I could hear the other girls sobbing, though I couldn't physically see them. The cold air sent shivers down my spine as the darkness closed off everything that I'd known. I was beginning to wonder if I would remember what the sun even looked like. I didn't know the passage of time anymore. I was like a lost soul in the wind._  
  
The air blew from deep in the mountains; my hair flowed with the wind, almost blocking my view, though it was so fine that I could see right through it. I reflected on everything that had happened while I watched the awakened being hunt. I knew that the warriors here were going to have their hands full. I also knew that the awakened being was going to have the upper hand. I decided that I was going to do what I could. I was going to try to pull the attacks away over distance to see if it worked. Kate sat waiting patiently, she was curious as to why I was doing this particular task. It didn't matter what the others thought I was going to have to do something anyway. I didn't say a word, I just watched and I saw.  
  
The battle raged on, the warriors were doing the best that they could. I knew that this fight wasn't going to end well. Two had been near death, their yoki so weak that they were going to die. The two that were fighting weren't doing much more than keep their heads above water. It was irritating to see it. The single digit's yoki flared suddenly and I could feel a deep power. She jumped up and struck the awakened being. I watched as the being was finally killed. Three hours of fighting. I told the handler that the task was finished, he didn't need me, and I left. The single digit wasn't too bad as a fighter, but she was meant to be in the lower ranks. She wasn't meant to be a single digit. All of my lower ranked comrades were chopped and changed so often that it was going to be irritating to say the least. I kept my path and my amour clanked.  
  
_I was sure that there was a reason as to why I was sent to the town of Dokut; indeed I'd heard that the humans needed a "Claymore" to kill yoma. I could sense a yoma, having felt it from the distance. It was weak and useless I could sense it easily having traced it from a long way away. My claymore sat on my back, oversized to my small body. The humans all stopped in their tracks and stared at me. No one said a word. They couldn't believe that a "Claymore" could be so small. I looked for the yoma more solidly than I had earlier and I walked right up to it. It fell in shredded pieces by the time I sheathed my blade. I was the smallest operating "Claymore". My amour clanked as I left the town after telling the humans to pay the man in black when he arrived. I walked without caring about where I was going. Who needed to, Orsay would find me no matter where I went. I didn't care anymore; travelling was easier when you moved a lot from place to place. It had the same for a month since I'd gotten my emblem, since I was given the 7th rank. I hadn't met any other warriors yet. I'd seen Kate once or twice since training. I knew that some things were best left alone. I didn't ask questions I just moved from town to town, slaughtering yoma as I found them._  
  
Slowly I made my way up to Lisa's and Misty's graves, I hadn't been to then in a whole year and I felt that I had to go there. I went alone while Kate, Meg and Claire were sleeping. They didn't need to see me crying. I sobbed when I'd reached the top, and as I looked up in to the star light night I felt an overwhelming need to pray. I knew that if I'd been paying more attention neither Lisa nor Misty would have died. I touched their grave markers and I came to stand before Kate's sword. I look at it for a long while and then the tears truly start falling down my face.  
  
I cried as I carried them, my tears flowing down my cheeks the pain ripping me apart and I couldn't even see what I was doing, my heart was torn in two. Kate's death was the last straw that I didn't even think existed. I fell over; the pain was just too much to deal with. I cried as I dug their graves. I knew that this was the only place that was safe enough. It was the only place where Kate's wishes would be fulfilled. It was the only place that I could find that no one else would know. It would be the final place for them to rest, the mountain of Lido, the only place…I cried as what little voice I had was gone. I couldn't scream, my voice was no more. I'd lost everything. I'd lost everything that I had. There wasn't a reason to live any more. There was nothing left for me, I wanted the earth to take me, to hold my body as it would hold Kate's for my pain and suffering to be over, yet to continue through my next life. For me to suffer for the failure that I was. I'd let them die. I'd failed beyond reproach; I was the reason that the earth was soaked with their blood.  
  
Tears ran down my cheeks, I sobbed and struggled to contain it. the sobs racked the air, and I was crying, chocking as I cried. There was nothing that I could do. Nothing. I felt another and I froze. Who would know about this place? I looked behind me and a familiar face appeared out of the shadows. It was Skylar.  
"Are you alright?" she asked,  
I looked away, and I tried to rub the tears away. Skylar came over to me. It was too late not to say anything. I felt Skylar's arm around my amour-less shoulders. Before I knew what was going on she hugged me,  
"It's going to be ok," she said softly.  
"It was my fault," I sobbed,  
"You did the best that you could," Skylar spoke softly, "we all have comrades that we have lost. They wouldn't want you to waste your life in the past you know."  
  
We walked down together, I said nothing, though I didn't need to, it was as if Skylar knew how I felt. She didn't want to fill the silence, she just wanted to be there as a friend, I felt slightly relieved that she was there. Meg was up,  
"Hey, hey, if it isn't the Number 3," she giggled teasingly, "nice to know you're still alive Skylar! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"  
"Behave yourself 47," Skylar growled,  
"40, actually," Meg smirked, "seven ranks too low!"  
Meg burst out laughing and I rolled my eyes. Trust Meg to be the happy one. Claire yawned and stretched,  
"Oh, hello Skylar," Claire said politely, "are you well?"  
Skylar nodded as an answer and Claire got up and put her amour on. Meg yawned and her amour clanked as she yawned,  
"Well, the day sure feels nice," Meg grinned, "I think this is the nicest feeling day so far."  
I sat down near my amour and began to work on checking for wear and tear. I'd worn my boots down again. I sighed as I set the boots aside. I checked the rest of my amour and then pulled it on. I sheathed my blade as Meg wiped her forehead. Skylar gasped openly,  
"I see why you're called "Blind Meg"," she flinched, "how…"  
"Blame the men of the Organization," said Meg calmly, "I am still able to fight, even without my eye sight,"  
Skylar looked at me, "How long did you know about that Chloey?"  
"Long enough, she is capable of fighting like the rest of us," I took a breath, "they use me to gauge the warriors, I am their last point of call. If the warriors can't fight I pick it up the quickest, I know that Meg can fight and I will vouch for her. I know what Meg and Claire can do. They work best when they are together."  
Meg nodded and Kate woke up,  
"Hiya Skylar, nice to see you again," Kate grinned her wolfish grin and I smacked my It was the best that I could do to do what was right and honest; of course I wasn't going to say that they were awakened beings as I knew it was code to reassure the humans. forehead with my palm,  
"Kate, for the love of all that is holy," I groan,  
Kate laughs loudly, and the Skylar suddenly joins in. it isn't long before Meg and Claire are laughing. I can't help it and I crack up.  
  
_The warriors were laughing so hard that Orsay heard them. Skylar was with them. He wasn't expecting both of the women that he handled to be in the same place. The last time Chloey had been with Skylar it had been nearly a whole year ago. Orsay stood and watched as the four were laughing hard. Chloey was laughing, but she was quieter than the others. The wolf howled loudly. The damned animal followed Chloey everywhere. It even wore a collar like a tame dog. He wondered if it was the Number 5's pet. Such a thing wasn't unheard of. Indeed warriors with pets that could travel with them seemed more stable than those that were alone. He sighed and moved a step closer. Chloey stopped laughing at once. She'd heard him from a distance that she never used to. Normally he could be five sword lengths before the girl heard him. He was a good twenty and above her. Orsay wondered if she was getting stronger already. He would have to report the newly risen sensitivity to sounds. It was clear that her range might have grown again._  
  
I heard Orsay's feet crunch on rocks. I knew that he was near, but I wasn't sure how near he was. I had heard him at any rate. Kate looked up and howled as loud as she could. Skylar stopped laughing and looked up. I followed her gaze and I could see Orsay in the trees. I knew that he was far enough away that I wouldn't have to worry about him. I rose and stretched. Claire looked to me,  
"What's today going to hold Chloey?" she asked me,  
"We will be heading to the south, there is much happening there," I say,  
"Really?" Skylar questioned, I nod, "Damn, the yoma are a nuisance, I will be seeing you later,"  
She sheathed her blade and walked away for two steps, "You don't have to, they're in my region," I said calmly, "don't trouble yourself over my duty,"  
She threw me an odd look, but relented to what I was saying,  
"That said, I don't mind if you wanted to come along,"  
Skylar smirked, "Right then, I guess that means we have a trip and a half kid,"  
"That we have," I say calmly. Trust Skylar to be on the money. I walked forward and led the others to my region.  
  
The humans had missed me it seemed. They were as rude as ever when I started making rounds through the towns that I was meant to be clearing. Skylar had a go at a few of them saying if they didn't sharpen their manners, they would find themselves being eaten by yoma soon. I raised an eyebrow and said rather calmly "I guess that means I'd better start telling the men in black that I've killed three yoma on this town," then the humans would shut up, or beg for me not to say anything to the men. I still reported hunting the yoma, but I would say less than the actual number of yoma that I killed. I helped the humans where I could. Orsay didn't even notice what I was doing. I knew that he wouldn't notice, so I cheated a bit. I wasn't proud of it, but that was what I started to do. The Organization was taking far too much from the other regions and even Skylar said nothing to Orsay about what I was doing. We walked from town to town and once I'd cleaned the area, Skylar was called back to her region. We said good bye and parted ways.  
  
My amour clanked as I walked. Orders to travel were not forthcoming, so I cleared towns as I went. I must have killed more yoma than any warrior before me. It seemed that in every town that I had travelled through had yoma. It wasn't like this before Luciela had awakened, and I tried to do the math in my head. It just didn't make sense for every yoma that we killed; there were five more to take its place. I was confused and I was beginning to question the Organization's motive. Could it be that the yoma were being made by the Organization? Or were my doubts unfounded. I didn't dare ask Orsay I knew that he would have a fit. I decided that I could very well be off in what I calculated and there were more yoma than I knew about. I walked onwards as I thought about everything that I knew.  
  
Yoma were everywhere and I knew that much. We killed more yoma than I'd been able to keep track of. There were past warriors that had awakened; a fair few in fact. I knew that was always likely to happen, warriors could only control their yoki for so long anyway, add to that the lack of care that the Organization had for us. We were to be used as Kate had said, and discarded as we out lived our usefulness.  
  
I came to a stop, not far from Lido. The river flowed over downwards, towards Rabona the holy city. The people there relied on the water from this particular river to help them with their crops and feeding the city. I had only ever heard of Rabona, I had never been there in my life. I knew that they had a ban on half yoma as well. I wanted to see the city, but I wouldn't have a chance. I then realised that I could use the yoki suppressants to go there, but the Organization wouldn't allow mere curiosity to allow me there. I would have to wait and see what I could do.  
  
The night air carried sounds from both near and far. I could hear the sound of rabbits burrowing and running from the owls at night. I could hear the swooping of the owls as they caught their pray to feed their young, and the squeals of mice that were caught. I looked around the darkened clearing and realised that no matter what I did it would have to be a cunning method to grant my freedom. I sighed as I knew that I wouldn't be able to escape now. I would have to wait for the right moment to present itself to me. I could still plan though, I guessed. I knew that I wouldn't be found in the area around Lido, the Organization didn't care enough about the town to warrant having a warrior go through there, or even travel through there themselves. It would be a simple case of hiding my face, which wasn't uncommon, in Lido, most of the women of Lido wore head coverings to keep their faces protected from the occasional fierce winds that did rip through. I knew too that if I really wanted to I would have to stay inside and make sure that only a select few people would know that I was what I was. The Organization's warriors wouldn't have enough time to find me. As well as that I did have my yoki suppressed most of the time, so no one could sense me, if I wanted to hide.  
  
It was as I was sitting there that a plan came to mind. If I had to hunt Agatha, I would let her hurt me until I was unconscious or close to it and fake my own death. I would have to tell Meg and Claire of course I wanted them to be safe, and if they were with me it would be easier to discourage a fight if a lone warrior wanted to try to take us on. It would be me though that would be deterrence enough, especially since my yoki couldn't be felt. I figured that it would keep the warriors and awakened beings at bay if I had to. I could make their yoki uneasy and the task would be keeping them out of wherever I chose to hide. I could hide where ever I wanted to hide, and they wouldn't be remotely able to do anything. I felt please by the idea as I travelled on to the next town. I could feel the yoma easily. I sighed. It was time to begin again.  
  
I walked down the main street. There were a lot of humans in this town. _It must be Theo then_ I thought. _I know that the yoma is here, it's not hiding its yoki very well_. I could see a small girl with strawberry coloured hair. She was being firmly held before a stocky old man. The yoma's chosen disguise. So the child was the yoma's play thing. I walked forward, my amour clanked on the stone street,  
"A Claymore!" the people cried, "It's a Claymore."  
I looked at the yoma and I looked at the girl. She was quite tall for her age. She had a side-swept fringe and braided bangs in front of her ears. She wore a large green bow and the back of her hair was down to her knees. She looked pretty, her green eyes looked in to mine and then I stepped forward. The humans all gaped and stared at me. I was behind the yoma and before it knew what happened its head came off its shoulders. The humans screamed, "She killed Leon, the Claymore killed Leon!" and then the humans were truly screaming "OH GODS IT'S A YOMA…LEON WAS A YOMA!"  
I requested a room for the night. The human girl was on my mind and as I slept, I wondered what sort of life she was going to lead now. I felt sorry for her, I truly did. I however didn't have the time to take on a child; she would suffer if it were me trying to help her. I spent the night with my back on my claymore. I didn't sleep.  
  
The next morning the town had gathered everything that they had in order to pay me for killing the yoma. As they hadn't sent a request they didn't need to pay me,  
"You are not obligated to pay. I was just passing through and I killed the yoma for the sake of it." I felt the child grip my cape. I pulled it out of the way and she fell on to the ground. The humans murmured something about not taking in yoma victims and the girl got up.  
"Enough, I don't have time for children," I say, "I'll take my leave now."  
  
Two hours after leaving the town the girl is still following me. I am annoyed that she is even following me; such behaviour is abnormal and un-human. I get to where Meg and Claire were resting with Kate. They see me and I tell them to ignore the child, and add that she might be touched in the head. Kate looks at me and asks why.  
"She was a yoma's plaything," I say calmly, "clearly that is answer enough,"  
No one argues with me on this.  
  
We travel for two days and the girl manages to keep up. Meg was starting to feel sorry for her, but I was becoming worried. She hadn't eaten or drunk for two days, and she was going to need to soon. As we stopped to camp for the third day since I killed the yoma and two days since the girl started following me, I go over to where she was. She was unconscious like I'd thought. I lifted her up and carried her to the river that we were camping beside. I throw her in, much to Kate's displeasure, and she wakes up gasping and coughing.  
"Are you done playing around now? Hurry up and drink, and when you're done" I say to her, "clean yourself up, you reek of yoma blood. When you've done those things you can have something to eat."  
She looks at me and then pulls of her dress. As I thought she was covered in cuts and bruises. She was a yoma's plaything. Her hair stuck to her body, it was very long. The green bow held some of it back, so she wore a half ponytail. I had made sure that there was some rabbit for her to eat. She gulped the water and scrubbed the simple shift that she was wearing. She then half ran up the river bank and sat nervously on one side of the fire. I gave her the rabbit and she ate it like the world was ending. She was a strange girl. She looked up suddenly from her ravenous eating and held the rabbit back towards us. She was shivering and looked close to tears,  
"It's yours to have, don't think that I will starve myself for your benefit,"  
The relief on her face was a sight and a half and she resumed her furious eating. A bit like a pet, I supposed. I knew that she couldn't be kept, she was going to have to find a home somewhere, and she couldn't very well stay with me. Nor would I allow her to become half yoma when it came down to it. She didn't need to know that pain. As I watched her eat I realised that I missed it. I missed that part about being human. I had to hope that she wouldn't become half yoma, and I had to pray that she would find a good human family to care for her. I decided that she would have to travel with us, even if for a little while. I would watch over her for now. I sighed and lay back on to the hard ground. The bracken of the forest floor was digging in to my back it was something that I was long since used to. Once the girl had eaten her food she lay down and slept. I felt myself drifting off too, and the last thought I had was the half prayer that she would live a happy human life.


	10. Chapter IX: A Little Girl Called Heather

## Chapter IX: A Little Girl Called Heather

  
We travelled hard, most nights the girl would collapse after eating and not wake again until the morning. She didn’t seem to be able to talk and I doubted that she could write. I however had my hands full and wasn’t able to really attempt to talk to her, let alone find out her name. I was sure that it was a moot point. Little did I know that she would soon reveal more than I ever thought possible.  
  
  
It was the same old job, killing yoma. My amour clanked as I walked and I could hear what sounded like breaths on the night air. The girl was holding on to my cape again, so I had to slash the yoma where they were and not move too much or else she’d get hurt. I finished each yoma without really focusing on what I looked like. I killed and that was about all. I lost track of exactly how many yoma had been killed in the battle. I guessed something around twenty. A yoma nest I thought at first. I felt the last yoma die and as I looked around, I saw something rush towards me, a shadow unlike any other that I’d ever seen as a warrior. It faded out and then I felt a powerful yoki come much closer. My blade slashed deeply, half purple blood whooshed in the night air, almost a sickening sight on its own without the shocked gasping that came with it. Whoever it was there was a weak yoki that I sensed. I turned sharply and looked at the body. It was an awakened being unlike any that I’d seen. She must have been the odd shadow that I’d ended with a swift movement of my blade.  
“Please,” she said in desperation, “Don’t kill me,”  
I walked over to the fallen form and glared at her,  
“Please, spare me,” she hacked up blood, I knew that she was an awakened being, “Please, I don’t want to die,”  
“And yet you must die,” I say taking a deep breath to steady myself for the next logical step, “I have no choice. To protect humans you must be dead,”  
“Spare me, please!” she begged,  
“I have no choice in the matter,” I told her, “as much as you think it is fine to live the life of a yoma it’s not. Humans need to live, to have peaceful lives that don’t involve your kind wreaking havoc for them. It is out if duty alone that I must end you,”  
I lifted up my blade as she begged over and over to be spared, for me not to kill her. My blade went through her neck without any effort in the slightest. There was no reason not to kill the monster that no doubt would be eating humans at every chance that she got. It was the same old pattern as long as they existed and continued to cause trouble.  
  
The girl clinging to my cape clung tighter for some reason and as we left the town (or rather we left the ruins that had once resembled a town) I thought I heard sobbing. I sighed and continued forward to find a decent campsite for rest of the night.  
  
We rested for two whole days as I didn’t have any jobs. On the second night before we were to head out in the morning I decided to have a bath in the river. My clothes were thrown every which way, I didn’t really care. I washed myself and had a bit of a swim. I came back up to the river bank and was almost slammed in to the water again.  
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask the girl.  
“I…it…hu…hurt?” she was sobbing and it was hard for me to make out what she was trying to say, “It…looks like…it hurts,”  
I froze in shock; she could talk…God of Rabona the girl could talk…  
“It hurt you to kill that yoma…” her green eyes lift up and look at me, “It hurt you; you didn’t want to kill that last yoma”  
My own silver eyes were wide. Her green ones were filled with tears,  
“You mean the former warrior,” I say and she flinches, “that is what eventually happens to us,” I sigh, “when we lose control of our yoma half.”  
She looks up at me her eyes filled to the brim with tears,  
“But you didn’t want to kill her,” she says,  
I am surprised. Her words were true. Painfully true. I wanted not to have to keep fighting for them. I wanted to find something to fight for that was worth fighting for. Kate…Lisa…Misty…Meg…Claire…Skylar…Teresa…Irene…René…Sophia…Noel…this girl…Chris…especially Chris, I realised that I should have known from the start. I should have known that she was seeing that scar. Yet the girl didn’t care, she was hugging my middle as tightly as if I were her older sister and so I tremble within. She was as strange as I was. Outcast by her town and most likely made in to a yoma’s plaything. Then the yoma was clearly staying in the community long enough to gain the trust of the humans around it, and I killed it. This girl was no different from me. She was no better off than what I had been. Even if she had a family most likely they wouldn’t take her back. Not if she was a yoma’s plaything.  
  
The rest of the night was strange,  
“You shouldn’t become a half yoma. It is painful, more painful then you’ve ever known. I’d rather that you found a good family, really I do,”  
“But…”  
“I couldn’t stand the thought of it happening.” I ended the conversation with her.  
  
“Hey, what’s with the kid?” Skylar asked me. I sighed as she was busily cleaning herself again,  
“She has nothing,” I say sadly,  
“So you’ve got yourself a stray,” Skylar smirked, “I guess even the ‘eyes’ has to go soft at some time.”  
“It’s not that!” I hissed heatedly, “She isn’t just a stray, the men haven’t found her and I can tell you right now that she will find a good home and she will live a human life!”  
Skylar looked at me sadly it seemed, “I doubt it…there were over 10 girls in the newest training class. They will be hawk eyed until they have enough warriors,”  
I sigh and the girl runs up, shift on, clean,  
“Hey kid,” Skylar half called, “What’s your name?”  
She stopped for a few seconds and for a moment all is still, and when I thought that she wasn’t going to say anything she spoke,  
“Heather,” she looked Skylar in the eye, “my name is Heather,”  
  
Heather was a quiet girl. She rarely complained and ate what was given to her. However there was one thing that I didn’t want for her. It was this one thing that was annoying me to no end. I didn’t want her to become a half yoma. As time passed, I hoped that she would give up on such a life. Little did I know that there wasn’t going to be much choice.  
  
We had arrived in Sutafu, Heather staring at all the other warriors that were walking past on their ways to various missions. I noticed that there were a lot of trainees all walking along, following the single digits that were assigned to survival training. I looked at some of them and I felt sick. Some of them were still undergoing their transformation, their eyes sometimes not even the slightest bit silver. These ones weren’t going to last more than a week of travel if they were lucky. I felt sickened by what I could see. I could hear more girls screaming and I was glad that Heather couldn’t hear them.  
  
I went to my quarters and it was clear that Heather was missing. I looked absolutely everywhere and I still couldn’t see her. About three hours later I could hear sobbing. I followed the sound and I found her. She had the same gash as all the others had. I wanted to curse, but I didn’t. I gently lifted her up and held her. She was newly operated on. I knew that she was going to have a very long road ahead. Meg and Claire both sleep close to her. they needed to rest anyway, but no matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t rest myself. I felt wound up with anger.  
  
Hours pass. I can see that she will wake soon. She sobs in her sleep and my blood boils all the while. I am furious but there was nothing that I could do. I feel so angry. I know that I will never forgive the Organization for what they have done. I hear someone yelling and I look out of the door. Meg and Claire are asleep on the straw close to Heather, who was still sobbing, I was glad that they didn’t see what I could see. There was a large cart with a lot of girls was being pulled along. I watched as some of the girls that were slit open fall to the floor and blood spilling everywhere,  
“Pick them up!” a man voice yelled, “We haven’t got the time to stuff around,”  
“Sir, the red head was missing from the recovery room,” a man close to me said calmly  
“Well then fucking find her!”  
“Sir I believe that she was brought here by The Silent,” another voice said,  
“Well then where is the fucking girl?” the man yelled again,  
“Enough,” said a male voice coldly,  
“Da…Dae,” the men all froze and I saw the creep emerge out of the shadows,  
“If you were doing your jobs you have known that there are three more towns that we need specimens from, and I know that you useless three are in charge of sending the yoma so get a move on.”  
“Yes sir, right away sir!”  
I paused and moved closer carefully closing the door behind me. I saw Orsay walk towards Dae,  
“Dae, the boats are ready if you need them,”  
“Orsay, Dae,” I pulled closer in to the shadows as none other than Rimuto appeared, “I expect the two of you to send your warriors out to the south, it seems like there’s some request that hasn’t been seen to. If there is a yoma nest, just leave it, and move on to the next town.”  
“Of course Rimuto,” the two replied, and with that they left.  
  
I raced back to my quarters, Heather’s yoki was beginning to form to a point that I could feel it and I knew that she was in pain.  
  
I was by her side at once, and she hugged me as tightly as she could. I held her and I realised that I was crying…  
  
Days passed but I wouldn’t leave her side. It was decided that she would stay with me until such time the men decided that she needed to be a warrior. It seemed to me that they didn’t really care either way. I waited until the colour was drained from her hair, and her eyes were clearly silver before setting off again. Heather was given a sharp sword and it wasn’t long before she wanted to learn how to use it. In between hunting yoma and hunting for the people of Lido, there was very little, if any time to see Chris. He didn’t seem to mind in the slightest and now that Heather was travelling with me it was a bit harder to see him.  
  
Months had passed since Heather had become a claymore and it was clear to me that she needed more time to learn how to fight properly. I could see what was almost going to happen. I taught her as well as I could. I wanted to make sure that she was going to live a very long time. I started with the basics. I pushed her to nail each and every sword movement that I could teach her and it wasn’t long before she actually developed an interesting way of doing things. She seemed to move forwards to attack and half step backwards at the same time. Her hair was almost the same colour as Lisa’s was and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was related to Lisa in anyway. I doubted it because she hardly was like Lisa much in other ways. I sighed as I watched over her. She was going to be a warrior soon before I knew it. The men weren’t going to wait for her to gain the skills that she needed and that scared me. It was as if they wanted to go through as many warriors as possible and if they weren’t going through enough then I was as good as a fool.  
  
Weeks had passed since Heather was made a warrior. I knew almost at once that she was going to be a bit low in the rankings. I was genuinely surprised though when Orsay told me that Meg, Claire and I were to go on an awakened being hunt with a few of the newer warriors. I was told that they were rookies and needed training on how to handle awakened beings as they were supposed to be strong enough to fight them. I was surprised by the fact that Heather was among them. I barely had time to register that she was there before I was half slammed down on to the ground with her hugging me frantically. I was surprised but I hugged her back. The other two were long hairs as well, one with two bangs either side of her delicate face and a straight fringe while the other one had to braided pigtails resting on her back. Orsay was right about the three of them being strong. Heather was deep in the yoki as was the other two. Meg and Claire got on well with the three and for the first time in a long time I was able to slip away.  
  
I was walking along the path thinking about how much had changed in the four years since Luciela's awakening. It was hard to believe that much time had passed and that some many comrades had lost their lives because of the Organization’s carelessness. I felt as if I just wanted to stop…to just stop for the time being and go back in time. To warn myself that my life was going to take a few turns that were going to hurt me, but make me stronger as a result. I sighed and almost jumped out of my skin,  
“Oh, sorry,” Chris emerged out of the shadows flicking branches off his leather outfit, “I was sleeping and I thought I heard familiar amour,”  
He grinned and I couldn’t help but blush again. I always seemed to blush whenever he spoke to me. It was beginning to annoy me, but it didn’t seem to bother Chris. He stood up and I really wished that he hadn’t. I couldn’t help but stare at him, my eyes widened and the blush as obvious as a working warrior to a human. He came over to me and just when I thought that he was just going to muck around like normal and tease me, he softly kissed me. I trembled at first but then I seemed to respond to it. There was a small warmth that spread through my small body and I realised that I had pulled closer than I wanted to. I pulled back at the same time he did, I was shaking, but I realised that the feeling that was coursing through me was one that I had never known before…one of pure bliss. I almost jumped as he put his arms around me gently. I hugged him back and he kissed me again.


	11. Chapter X: The Strange Encounter

# Chapter X: The Strange Encounter

  
Six months had passed since Chris had kissed me and I was traveling along a well-known route. Heather, Bella and Leah were all following me calmly, though Leah was getting a bit excited about it all. Her twin braids bounced as we were sent on yet another awakened being hunt together. I half wondered what was going to happen, but I didn’t care. I was too busy worrying about what needed to be done and seeing if what I’d overheard when Heather was made a warrior. If so everything that I knew was as good as a lie. My amour clanked as I walked forward, the air flowing through my long pale blond hair. The ponytail flapped and my bangs were getting in to my eyes a bit. I stopped as I found the target at last. It was so weak that I simply told the others that they could fight it and I would be close by if they needed me. It was as if the battle was over before it begun. I sighed as we all camped for the night. I could sense René in the distance, but it could very well have been another warrior. I lay back and closed my eyes, there wasn’t much that was going to happen and I needed the rest. I fell asleep and the last thought I had was the wondering of how the Organization created yoma, if they did.  
  
_The men finally had enough warriors to consider the situation stable. The sheer number of trainees that they had raked in was enough to make up for their losses after Luciela awakened. It was clear to Rimuto that they didn’t have eyes even in any of the batches of trainees that they had. There was Teresa, but she wasn’t good to the same distances as what Chloey could manage so easily. They decided that they would keep the still young eyes for the time being as she was too valuable to them as she was. They doubted that they could find a child like her, or woman as some were pointing out until Orsay said soberly, “She’s 16; therefore she is a woman and has been so for four years,”  
The rest of the men all nodded in agreement. When the warriors grew they usually became tough to handle as had been the trend ever since warriors were produced  
“Has the ‘eyes’ been causing any trouble,” asked Rimuto,  
“No sir,” Orsay replied, “she is as silent as ever and as quite as ever,”  
The rest of the men were shocked. It was rare that a warrior would remain the same, even rarer that they would only question their handlers almost never, and worse still be as silent as Chloey was. It was worrying the men to the point of being uncertain. They knew that the warriors had no idea that their real purpose was to be controllable awakened beings and that the two hidden Dragonkin were proof that the men were trying as hard as they could to make weapons that would end the war in the large continent. They wanted to achieve victory for their bosses and so far it seemed further than what they had ever hopped possible. Luciela’s failed attempt of control through Rafaela was enough to set the Organization back by years’ worth of work. And yet Orsay had felt that Chloey was the better alternative to explaining where it went wrong than any other warrior in the ranks. Rimuto weighed up his options and sighed inwardly. He gave Orsay the order to summon the ‘eyes’ in the hope that some light could be shed in to finding out why Luciela had failed and how to avoid it again. Perhaps the two twins that they had obtained would be the key, the two babies, the two that were traveling with Chloey and her oddball disobedient comrades. He sighed and settled for waiting for ‘The Silent’ to return to headquarters. He didn’t have much hope at all._  
  
I received the order to return to Sutafu without a face. Meg and Claire were both curious and I just didn’t even care. I should have known that they would call me, like most of the other reasons that they called me it would give me a chance to work out what I was going to do. I heaved a sigh and waited until Kate was up and stretching before I said anything simple enough to be heard. Kate tilted her head and Meg was snickering. Claire looked at me and I could see that she was thinking something, but she wasn’t going to say anything. I sensed a certain warrior and I pulled my blade so fast that I doubted that anyone would have seen it coming. Skylar lunged from the shadows and I stopped her with the flat of my blade. Skylar laughed loudly and I rolled my eyes,  
“You should try hiding your yoki more Skylar, I still saw you coming,” I said,  
“Well, where’s the fun in that!” she laughed,  
  
Our blades were crashing and smashing against one another as I blocked her with my left hand. She made sure that she was fighting as hard as she could, but it was no use against my right arm. That arm was more trouble than in was worth, and I figured that she would know that by now. We sparred for hours and hours. At last she stepped back, panting and I tilted my head. Skylar looked like she wanted to say something, but seemed to think better of it. She sat with her back on her sword and I sat on the ground and I was lost in thought…  
  
_She looked at the warrior that she had known for five years and sighed to herself. Once again Chloey was shutting herself away from everyone else but the reason was as hard to find as it was breaking the wall within Chloey’s mind that kept coming up every time Skylar tried to read the girl’s yoki in depth. Meg and Claire proved easy to read, right down to the depressing details of their own, mediocre lives, and yet Chloey was as shut up as a girl with something serious to hide. Skylar pretended to be asleep and waited. Perhaps following Chloey would help…then she realised that Chloey would know that she was being followed and change plans accordingly. Skylar had to take a chance and looked at the suppressant pill that she had…if she took it she would be unable to sense Chloey, but there was the chance of being sensed by Chloey. Skylar had heard all the rumours about the small warrior finding it easy to find warriors who tried to hide. Skylar took two and followed Chloey as stealthily as possible._  
  
Chloey was standing in a clearing on her own, her eyes looking upwards towards the sky. It was as if she was waiting for something. Skylar lowered herself to the ground and watched on in shock as another warrior appeared that everyone had said was dead. Rafaela walked in to the clearing, her face carrying a massive scar to her left eye,  
“So, you sensed me,” said Rafaela, her remaining silver eye narrowed annoyed,  
“It’s the same captain,” Chloey lowered her head, “I can’t stop it no matter how hard I try, and I heard things that I didn’t like the sound of.”  
“Like what?” Rafaela demanded,  
“The…the Organization…are sending yoma to towns…like they own them,” Chloey’s silver eyes were filled with tears and she looked distressed.  
Rafaela’s silver eye widened and she was shaking,  
“Luciela…”  
“She hides and feeds,” Chloey replied as if to answer an unspoken question  
Rafaela lowered her head and Skylar saw Chloey’s hand reach up to touch her shoulder,  
“It’s not your fault Rafaela, you did the best that you could…there was nothing that could have changed the result. We all know that it takes the highest degree of yoki manipulation to do what you had to do,” Chloey looked down, “I doubt that there is a way for two different warriors to do it the yoki is just too different. I know that it is almost impossible to do what you did for as long as you did it Rafaela,”  
“I heard that two were taken from their parents…”  
“Yes, Alicia and Beth, I believe their names are…well they’ll be in for a life of hell,” Chloey looked away, “they will suffer unlike any other warrior, isolated and forced to act like mindless dolls, only they will have it far more stamped into them than a normal warrior.”  
Rafaela looked around the clearing, “Tell me Chloey, what would it take to kill Luciela,”  
Chloey tilted her head and looked at Rafaela, her silver eyes narrowing and then her eyebrows formed a frown on her face.  
“Well…” she began, slowly thinking through what Rafaela had said clearly, “Most likely it would depend on what she was facing; anything less than a creature of the abyss isn’t going to cut it, Hysteria might be strong enough, though I have my doubts about her. Alicia won’t have the power needed to face Luciela for a long time. She might take on Riful one day, but not Luciela in a hurry.”  
“Thank you Chloey,” said Rafaela, “I’ll be gone for now”  
Skylar disappeared before they even headed towards her. She was frightened and she was sure that the two warriors had formed some kind of pact that she would never understand.  
  
The trip to Sutafu was boring and I was ready to just leave the Organization in one hit. I got up after yet another wasted day of travel and I noticed something. I could sense Skylar and I knew that she wasn’t in the immediate area. I knew that she was in her region and I also knew that she was in the middle of killing a group of yoma. I could sense Hysteria killing an awakened being on her own because it was just so weak. I could feel Isley in the north, he wasn’t feeding but rather was doing something that made me want to blush and bury my head so that I couldn’t sense what was going on. I also flinched because Riful was doing something both sick and twisted. I didn’t say anything but I sure hoped that she got a dose of her own medicine one day.  
  
We walked in to Sutafu and I saw the new trainees all staring at me. It was as if they hadn’t seen a warrior before. I could see that the children and children they were wouldn’t be enough to face off with any yoma. Their yoki was weak and I hoped that they weren’t up to survival training. I sighed heavily and walked forward, my amour clanking as I entered the main reporting room alone. Meg, Claire and Kate were all outside waiting for me. Just like I’d asked before I went inside. I looked at the men and I wondered what it was that they wanted me for. I was sure that there was a reason that I was called and I waited for them to speak.  
  
For several moments that none of them spoke. Rimuto looked as bored as ever and really I didn’t understand what was going on. In the end I looked to my left and I could see what looked like a new handler. His head was covered by some sort of cloth and it looked like he was most likely bald, he regarded me with confused eyes, he was clean shaven and very young. He looked like a youth barely entering manhood  
“So this is ‘The Silent’ Chloey,” he walked forward, as if to look closer at me, I would have told him more about the other warriors than he ever wanted to know about “I never thought that I would see such a small warrior, she looks no taller than some of the trainees, are you sure that this one is the ‘eyes’?”  
“As you can see Rado, this one is indeed a warrior and has been one for five years,” said Rimuto from across the room, where he was sitting on his throne like chair. I wanted to rip him apart but I withheld the instinct. I knew that at one word such an action would get me killed for now so I waited to see what it was that I was needed for. I waited patiently until I could stand it no longer and I turned sharply on my heal; metal scraping reasonably loud on the floor. It was in that moment that they most likely even realised that I was actually waiting for them. I decided that if they weren’t going to say what it was that they wanted they could just get fucked,  
“Number 5,” Rimuto spoke when he realised that I was truly going to walk out again without a word. My amour clanked as I stopped, “Your new job is to head in to the south, you will be seeing for Rado,”  
I rolled my eyes and continued to walk forward when Rimuto spoke again, “You will need to keep an eye on Hysteria,”  
I ignore the later comment as I knew that was the case anyway. The Organization was about as paranoid as ever since Luciela awakened and it was clear to me that they wanted to avoid creating a creature of the abyss for a very long time. I sighed inwardly as I left the men in the room. I knew more than what most of the warriors had ever known and that wasn’t a good thing. I wondered what it was that was going to happen and I sighed there was no real point in making it known that I knew a bit more than my comrades and it was also clear that I was going to have to do something at some point, but not right now.  
  
I waited calmly in the south for Rado and I sighed. He sure was taking his time over the trip. I lay on the ground and I thought about all that I had heard in Sutafu and I was confused. I didn’t understand what it was that the Organization was trying to achieve and I realised that I needed to know more before I could play the vital role of judge.  
  
Kate yawned loudly while Meg’s snore broke the silence of the clearing Claire was muttering in her sleep and I was waiting for the new day to start. The sunlight filtered through the trees and I made note of the shadow shapes that were made. So far I had made no fewer than a hundred different shapes with my sharp eyesight. I noticed that several shadows weren’t natural shadows so I got up. I didn’t know why but as I walked in to the clearing I sensed yoki unlike any yoki that I had ever felt.  
  
“Please, kill me,” I turned sharply to face a young man with gold eyes, “I don’t want to be a monster,”  
I looked hard, but no matter how I looked at it he was a half yoma man that was awakening. I killed him with a confused heart. What was a half yoma man doing around these parts…or better still why was this man existing as a half yoma? The question rolled around in my head as I walked back to the others. I was no closer to understanding than even the most knowing of the warriors. I looked up as the sun hit the clearing that Meg, Claire and Kate were sleeping in and I realised something. Fact one, it was clear to me that something wasn’t adding up, I knew it…but to find out how it wasn’t…I looked at Kate sleeping soundly and I walked over to her. I would wait for the others to wake up. I knew that when they did we would travel again and I would work through what I had just witnessed and make it work. My head was spinning with the strange things that were happening and I wished that it would stop.


	12. Chapter XI: Old Warrior’s Gossip

# Chapter XI: Old Warrior’s Gossip

  
  
The arrival to the south was mostly uneventful, Meg and Claire both placing bets like normal while I simply kept count for them. Claire yawned loudly and I could see that she was bored,  
“Damn all this waiting for those assholes,” Claire grumbled,  
“What for Claire?” Meg asked her sister,  
“You know what for,” Claire retorted,  
I paused and waited for them to realise that I was waiting for them to stop arguing. I didn’t have to wait long. Meg stopped and turned so fast it would have made me laugh, while Claire looked at me with worried eyes,  
“What’s up Chloey?” she asked the same time that Meg did.  
“Nothing,” I say as I sense Eric’s yoki. I turn towards his yoki and Claire grabs her sword while Meg stands calmly on the path. Meg suddenly speaks,  
“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Mr former Number 7,” she sighs loudly, “you know that you’re not welcome right,”  
Sure enough Eric steps out of the trees,  
“With an attitude like that, I’ll be waiting to see you get killed,” he smirked,  
“So what boy, you have nothing on me and you know it,” Meg grinned, “or I’m not blind Meg,”  
Eric gapes at Meg and then finds himself on the receiving end of Claire’s attack. I watch as the match is one sided, and then I jump in to save Claire some face.  
“Damn it, you just had to stick your nose in, didn’t you,” Eric smirked,  
“I think that is enough out of you, you idiot,” I freeze in place as Chris’ voice sounds from the trees quite lazily, “or should I give you a beating for not leaving the ladies alone?”  
The leaves crunch as Chris walks out from the trees and Eric stops dead,  
“Well fuck you too, Christopher the Strong,” Eric smirks widely, “I never thought that you had the balls to leave the Organization, but I guess I was wrong,”  
“Like I said Eric, leave the ladies alone and I might not beat the crap out of you,” Chris’ expression is livid and I am confused. I step back with Meg and Claire, Kate sitting patiently with her green eyes flashing with interest. Chris’ yoki rose fractionally and Eric grinned, “Fuck yeah, bring it on I could beat you blindfolded you cunt,”  
Chris glowers at Eric and then without warning their blades scream in protest, I can see that clearly despite Eric’s claims, Chris had the match in the bag, and it’s not hard for anyone who was watching to see why. Chris was far better than Eric and despite Eric’s confidence, Chris had him on the ground, his silver eyes wider than anything that had ever been seen. Eric muttered profanities and Chris lifted his blade,  
“Idiot, I told you to leave the ladies alone,” Chris glared at Eric and I walked over cautiously, “hello there Missy,”  
I couldn’t help but blush at the grin on Chris’ face. Eric got up and looked from Chris to me to Chris again,  
“Oh, you tell me to leave the ladies alone so you can get first dibs, fuck you,” Eric snapped,  
“Why don’t you look around you Eric?” Chris asked seriously, “there are three ladies here and your manners are poor,”  
Eric glares at Chris and I find myself a little in the middle,  
“Besides, you just need to have manners and they’ll be fine around you,” Chris suddenly goes quiet and says calmly, “We’ll finish our little squabble later, looks like the girls have a task ahead, take care Missy,” he says to me, “Eric, mountains in the north if you’re not a chicken cry baby like I remember,”  
And they both disappear rapidly.  
  
Two minutes later Rado appears with a frown on his face and then he spots us and stops dead in his tracks. Clearly he didn’t expect to have us waiting for him. It wasn’t long until Meg makes a loud yawn and Rado sighs,  
“What is to the south Number 5,” he asks,  
I look to the south and I carefully read the area lightly and focus on the task that I have to do even if I didn’t want to do it. There was an awakened being that was just out of my range and I then began to focus on it, there was a strange yoki to it, it was old and it was one that I’d never seen before. I sighed as I watched it, and I then sensed warriors on the way to it,  
“They’re out matched, you’ll lose the lot,” I say without elaborating,  
  
The warriors move slowly and I can sense that the leader of the hunt isn’t very powerful, she was weak and there was no way that she could have so much as done a good job of what she was doing. She was nervous and afraid, stupid girl was a novice and there was no telling what was going to happen. I read her yoki as carefully as I could and I noticed that something was off, she was hiding her yoki, but not that well. I had a feeling that I didn’t like, one that I knew was going to be trouble. I didn’t know the damned girl, but I knew that her yoki was already going to be the source of great trouble.  
  
The warriors approached the awakened being and I watched as what I said was going to happen almost did. The warrior leading the hunt awakened and I sighed inwardly, it was irritating to have that happen, but it was then that she ran riot, completely losing it and running off after killing her comrades.  
  
Rado wasn’t particularly surprised so I left him to go to see why I could sense so many yoma to the south west of where we were. I traced the creatures with ease and as we killed them, Meg and Claire were both adding to the carnage by working on their sword techniques together. I jumped and slashed a few, right hand gripping my blade with a grip that I was used to. It was normal for me to handle my claymore in this way. It was as if the yoma had to get somewhere and they didn’t want us to get in the way of what they were doing. The damned things did what they could but I made sure that we didn’t miss a single one, that they were all killed and that we were clear of the yoma blood as well. I led the others to what was a quiet stream and rested with my back against my claymore. I wasn’t tired, so I spent the whole night thinking about what had just happened and sighing.  
  
A couple of weeks after the yoma incident I found myself again in the south, this time with Chris and Eric joining the group. I wasn’t on orders and I was sure that the men wouldn’t notice too much absence on my part anyway. The five of us travelled alright, Meg and Eric were playfully arguing about things that I didn’t care about, and I followed the road to Mucha in what was going to be the most uneventful journey that we’d had to date. Our amour clanked as we walked Chris and Eric wore large cloaks that hid their faces and we arrived in Mucha, about a week before the most important time of year that I’d always wanted to see, but when I was younger, my father had much to attend to, like hunting for the families in Lido. I walked along the cobbled streets and watched as the humans ignored us, or at least they tried to. I walked over to Marcus’ bar and opened the door, and a gesture that was growing old on me was the silence of the people that were sitting at the tables laden with Marcus’ good tasting food. The smell of alcohol was enough to make my nose wrinkle and my eyes narrow. Marcus was at the table like normal and as I walked up to it I now stood tall enough over it that I could lean on it if I wanted to,  
“Rooms for five please Marcus,” I requested casually, my soft voice breaking the silence with a light air that put the humans at ease,  
“Goodness me, the little claymore grew in to a young lady,” what was left of Marcus’ now grey hair was now no longer on his head, but on the sides of his head. He was older than what I’d remembered even in those four years that it had been since I’d last seen him. Wrinkles that I’d never remembered were lining his face and he was shaking a little, clearly he had the shaking sickness coming to him. He trembled and he shook as he lead us to comfortable quarters and as I lay on the bed made by his young daughter Joannabelle, I began to wonder what had happened to him in all that time. I couldn’t think clearly and I knew what that meant, I was going to have a rough night. Kate was asleep on the floor and I knew that she was content, I felt as if I alone carried a burden that I couldn’t lift, that I had to bear alone.  
  
_The old warrior got out of bed and walked out in to the room where the young warrior was asleep, her pale blond hair splayed out like a fan on the pillow as she lay on her side, small hands clenching and unclenching as she dreamed, not that he knew what it was about at any rate. Her dreams were far away and as he watched her, Chris swore that he could see tears in her eyes. He sighed and looked in to the night sky and thought about everything that she’d been through according to Marcus and it wasn’t pretty._  
  
“She knows much pain, more pain than Thomas would have wanted for her,” Marcus had sighed, “she’s a good kid, but those men…they are to blame for all that she has had to endure,”  
“Yes, I’m afraid they are,” Chris sighed, “there is much that we will never know about though, if she doesn’t say anything about it in the first place,”  
“Indeed,” Marcus agreed,  
“So then what happens now, what are we going to do about it,” Eric snapped, “just leave her to bare it on her own?”  
“She never was alone,” Chris sighed, “right Lady deLupia?”  
Kate had chosen that moment to arrive and she tilted her head and spoke in the way that she was much accustomed to as a human,  
“Should you gentlemen think that I would leave my daughter with nothing, you are all quite wrong,” she exposed her fangs in a large yawn and continued as if she’d not yawned in the first place, “All I want to see is that what is meant to happen, will happen. There is much that should happen and much that won’t happen. All I can say is this, help her if she needs it, care for her and keep her heart as safe as you can, and while your all at it, please tell her about her father and the books that he’s been keeping aside for her when the time is right,”  
The men looked in to the green eyes of the large white wolf and they all agreed without speaking that Kate was right, and as she’d taken her leave Chris looked out in to the night, thoughts in his head of times yet to come and things that he knew would need to be done before it all happened and blew out of proportion.  
  
Amour clanked and then he looked, a couple of new recruits were walking along the road with no idea about the horror pain and suffering that they were going to be going through. Chris had remembered that time and he sighed, as the Number 5 he was young and proud. Along with Chronos and Lars the three single digits had been cocky the day that Chronos had finally awakened. They were on a yoma hunt, not that they knew much else. Chris had been uneasy that day, as if he’d known what was about to happen. He’d not said much and as Lars goaded Chris to spar with him, Chronos had said something about needing a breather. Chris looked at Chronos, if only that day he’d asked what was wrong with his comrade, if only Lars had the damned brains not to attack when he did. Chris was the one who had to tell Eric that his best mate had awakened and lost his humanity and Chris and Lars had failed to end him swiftly enough.  
  
Eric had looked at Chris and then Chris had left the room and was now standing looking at the sleeping Chloey, her small body twitching as she dreamed; her yoki down lower than any warrior could have managed to get naturally. He brushed some of her fine hair off her face and it was clear that she was crying, tears rolled down her cheeks and she twitched again,  
“Kate…Kate…Kate…”  
She was muttering in her sleep and Chris realised that was calling out to her sleeping wolf/mother. Chris sat alongside her bed and took her right hand. It was scared between two of her fingers and he realised that he remembered the time that she’d gotten those scars. He knew there was a particularly nasty one on her right knee that he’d witnessed, he carried her to Marcus at the time and Marcus had to stitch it up while Thomas was beside himself with worry.  
  
Chloey was a tough girl, she fought her way through what life had thrown at her in a way that few would even begin to understand. Chris had seen her in battle several times now and he’d also seen her hunt. She was lethal and to the point, much like Thomas was and indeed she carried Thomas’ skills. He sighed and let go of her right hand and left the room,  
“Chris,” Eric spoke from the stairs quietly enough that humans wouldn’t hear him, “I know you guys tried your hardest,”  
Chris looked at Eric, “So?”  
Eric looked down, “I would have done the same thing, I guess. It wasn’t like Chronos to be like that, he was pissed over something and I think I know what it was…a kid”  
Chris looked at Eric and raised his eyebrows,  
“What kid, Eric?”  
“Riful’s sister,” Eric looked away, “Katrina,”  
“What about Kat,” Chris growled,  
“She…she took his rank Chris,” Eric looked at Chris to see if what he was saying was sinking in, “she was stronger than he was, and he was pissed, you know as well as I do how fucking hard it is to be a single digit, and with you the way you were, he wasn’t going to get the Number 5, the Org set ‘im up, the fucking cunts set him up Chris,”  
Chris sighed and spoke slowly and carefully, “meaning you weren’t pissed off when they replaced you like you were nothing to them?”  
Eric twitched and Chris sighed, “Look, take it easy will you, I’m sure that the girls don’t need to know what we do…it will end up getting them killed, and I doubt that you’re that willing to put Meg in a position that she can’t protect herself, right?”  
Eric gaped openly at Chris, and then he shut his mouth,  
“What about Chloey?” he asked Chris,  
“I won’t tell her, not yet any way, she still needs a bit more time,” Chris replied  
  
The morning sun rose as I woke, Kate was asleep on the floor, her white fur an almost golden colour as she lay in the growing sun. I carefully got out of bed and walked out to see none other than Orsay standing in the hallway waiting it seemed for me,  
“Number 5,” Orsay looked me over and said rather ruefully, “it seems that Hysteria has gone missing, you are to head a task force to find where she is and bring her back to Sutafu alive,” I then heard him mutter, “too bad Ermita can’t control his warriors,” and I walked back in to my room and pulled on my amour, something was going on and I didn’t know why, but I had a feeling that Hysteria was going to cause trouble when I found her.


	13. Chapter XII: The Silent Snaps

# Chapter XII: The Silent Snaps

  
_Amour clanked as she walked forward, she was close to her target and had been tracing it for months on end. No one was going to get in her way of the fight that was to be between her and that fool of a Number 2 Ahiria. The two sisters faced each other and prepared for combat. No one in the Organization knew that they were even sisters and Hysteria wanted to keep it that way. She’d heard the rumours that were spread by her sister and she was going to put the sorry bitch down because of it. Hysteria didn’t trust her sister one bit and it was clear that Ahiria was as stupid as ever. The Organization would know nothing of the fact that Hysteria was going a little rouge to find her sister, but this was no happy family gathering, it was going to be a vicious fight to the death in which Hysteria would emerge on top, Ahiria was a waste of Hysteria’s time and as the two faced off, Hysteria proved that she was the better of the two._  
  
I ran as hard and as fast as I could, I should have known what Hysteria would do the moment she had the chance. Ahiria was as good as dead and I moved forwards, Meg and Claire were both staying back with Kate at my insistence, I’d told the two that I needed to keep moving onwards and I wasn’t going to let them get hurt. I promised them that I wouldn’t be too long and I ran, I knew without a doubt what was going to happen. One of the two cocky warriors were going down, but who was going to fall.  
  
_There was a commotion that I’d remembered hearing about and I walked forwards. The Organization had deployed the Number 2 for some task that I didn’t understand and I’d heard so many rumours that it was hard to tell the truth anymore. I waited as I sat boredly in the main hall, warriors passing to and fro, I saw them and I didn’t see them at the same time. I was lucky to have the spot that I did, well hidden from view yet a good place to hear things that most wouldn’t hear if they were noisy about it. I could hear the voices of the men and I listened as they debated about what to research and how they should do it. Things like experiments and specimens, and other words above my head that made no sense to me at all. I sighed and then I heard a word that I had heard from René, ‘Dragonkin’ and I listened closely,  
  
“Damn it, is there a faster way to get results?” one of the men growled,  
“I’m afraid that even if we were to proceed, who’s to say that the ‘eyes’ could help us, we have yet to determine what went wrong with Luciela, and despite all the questions that we’d asked Rafaela it is hard to know,” Dae responded,  
“According to the ‘eyes’ the warriors would need someone with the exact same signature to control them effectively at all,” Orsay added, “based on what she did say it sounded as if it was harder for a warrior to totally control another, that in essence we would need two clone warriors literally before we would begin to see results from the soul-link. If this is the case then we will have to crush Alicia and Beth’s sense of self so that they are one.”  
The rest of the men murmured about the idea and Ermita spoke, “To say that is astounding to say the least, have you any idea what you’re saying?!”  
“He’s somewhat right,” Dae spoke with his ultra-creepy voice, “if what the ‘eyes’ is saying is true then we have much more work ahead then what we had the first time, indeed train the two should go to someone else and none of the handlers that are the usual handlers those two should be set apart from the rest and trained, starting as soon as the next batch of trainees,”  
  
I left before I was spotted by the men and I felt shaken to the core at what I was hearing. If that was really what was going to happen, then there was little hope for us._  
I ran, my amour clanking as I picked up a fight like none that I’d ever seen in my life. It was as if the battle was a test of speed and power one that I didn’t think would matter much. I got as close as I could, but I couldn’t get close enough to go there. I ran as hard and as fast as I could. Moving wasn’t going to be easy and I knew where I was. Why of all places did it have to be the Parabo Plateau? I sighed and wounded on the reasons that the two had for fighting as hard as they were along the most dangerous of routes that wasn’t good for fighting, let alone walking.  
  
_She’d seen the near misstep, she knew that Ahiria was as good as done soon, but no sooner did she think that then did her former sister jump and land on a group of rocks that she’d not seen before,_  
“You fool, did you think that you knew the land well enough to stop me,” Ahiria taunted, “You were always the ugly on of us, I must admit,”  
“On the contrary,” Hysteria smirked, “you are the total fool Ahiria, you fell for my greatest trap of all,”  
hysteria lunged forward with her speed and nothing else, she looked as if she’d ghosted through Ahiria and as Ahiria dodged, large gashes appeared down her shoulders that never would have appeared in the first place if she was careful. Ahiria knew what Hysteria was playing at and the fight began in earnest.  
  
If the earlier fighting wasn’t violent enough what was going on now was even worse. It was clear to me that those two had a score to settle and as I got closer I could physically see who it was that was fighting so violently in the first place.  
  
Their long hair swayed in the wind, one had four braids and the other had two. Both wore their long hair in high ponytails that fell below their shoulders, one wearing braided bangs was the one that so many comrades feared, The Elegant Hysteria, and the other warrior, not as tall, but just as deadly was The Shadow Copy Cat Ahiria, the Number 2 as of two years ago. I watched in sickened fascination as Hysteria moved faster than Ahiria, but Ahiria moved like she was strong. The two were different and it was clear that there would be no real winner from this match, not now, but I knew that Hysteria was going to hold the Number 1 with a firm hand that Ahiria couldn’t say.  
  
I watched as the match went on and on. The sun was sinking lower and lower and I waited. The two weren’t giving up and clearly wanted to fight to the death of one or the other. And I watched them. I did nothing but sit and watch as Ahiria and Hysteria fought. Hysteria lifted her blade and swung it with forces that barely would have held up against my right arm and as the two fought I decided to get up. The moon was high in the sky and I was beginning to lose patience for the first time in my life. I was angry at the two of them for reasons that I didn’t know and as I stepped forward in to their battle, I knew what had to happen, I knew what I needed to do and it wasn’t going to be pretty for either of them. I watched and I waited for the opening that I needed to make my little plan work. Hysteria ran towards Ahiria for what wasn’t the first time in their little battle and I walked forward so that my amour wouldn’t give me away. They were fighting so hard that even if I wasn’t being careful I could still creep up on them and get away with it. I tried my best not to let my own anger best me, and I didn’t know why it was that I was so furious in the first place as it just wasn’t like me at all. My amour clanked as I drew my own blade neither of them noticed me and as I stood in position I considered the layout of the land before me and I began to note the position of the sun and how much longer the light was going to last. I doubted that it was going to last much longer, so I jumped in to their fight.  
  
At first it seemed that neither noticed me, however once I started to parry their joint blows and push back at them, they realised that I was there. In that instant the two abandoned their fight and took me on. I used my right arm and cut down Ahiria with ease and I was so close to getting Hysteria it wasn’t funny. Hysteria ran away leaving Ahiria to her fate, clearly she didn’t care about Ahiria and as I looked at her I realised that she was using too much yoki to try to heal herself. I worked quickly and I managed to save her, only just before she got out of hand,  
“What happened, why were you fighting Hysteria?” I demanded, anger coursing through my voice in a way that made Ahiria flinch,  
“We…we have a pact and we will finish our fight,” she got up and before I could react, she ran off in the direction that Hysteria had run off.  
  
I ran after the two, realising that it was going to be a moot point to try to stop them in any way so I might as well just sit back and wait. I raced after them and as I ran I noticed that they were doing their upmost to avoid me with their yoki as low as they could get it. I decided to find Meg and Claire and tell them what I’d found out and that we were going to have a long trip ahead. I could almost picture the scene in my head now. This was going to take some explaining that was for sure.


	14. Chapter XIII: Ahiria and her Successor

# Chapter XIII: Ahiria and her Successor

  
After reporting on what had happened to the Organization, they were sure to keep me between the Number 1 and Number 2 at all costs. It was clear to me that the Organization had wanted and excuse to keep an eye on the two warriors and using me like this was about the only idea that they had to try and stop the two from fighting again, I doubted that it was going to work since I was too busy killing of yoma to keep track of either woman and there weren’t many other warriors that could match the pair in terms of speed and power. The men were nothing more than fools bidding their time and hoping for the break that would never come to them.  
  
I sat under the stars about a month after the two fighting all out and so far they had been quietly servicing their territories without so much as a word to anyone else but their handlers, the two choosing to ignore the existence of the other for as long as they could, a feat that I knew wasn’t going to last as Hysteria became more powerful.  
  
Meg yawned loudly and brought me back to the unforgivingly cold night, the wind making it almost impossible to keep a fire going while Kate was curled up against my side trying not to shiver with the cold. Thankfully there was no snow, but the air was plenty cold enough without the snow. I sighed and dealt with the cold, I wasn’t about to use yoki to keep my body warm, it would be pointless and I was sure that it would only serve to wear my mind down in the end. Claire was stretched out fully, half asleep and I was sure that she was not enjoying the cold either; however we had little choice as the men had ordered us here, right between the Number 1 and Number 2. I had really not cared that they were at each other, but I also knew that sooner or later, one of them was going to be dead and it would be Ahiria.  
  
I slowly walked along the road towards yet another town, a supposed yoma’s nest though I couldn’t sense much in the way of yoma. My amour clanked as we walked towards the town, Kate trotting beside me as she looked at the sky. I too focused on the sky and I was sure that there was something strange going on. I sharpened my focus and it was in that very moment that I felt all of the colour drain from my face and wished that I had seen it before it had all happened. I instantly picked up my pace without so much as a word of warning and Meg and Claire began to move more rapidly than before, Kate suddenly howled loudly and I ran, not caring if I left them all behind, I knew at once that something terrible was going on, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the town in time.  
  
_Idly the monster shifted, she had been rather annoyed at her underlings since they had failed to detect the Claymores’ presence until they were nearly five and a half hundred sword lengths away, and even then, they seemed to be locked in a fierce battle. As she stepped out of her hiding place, she saw why. A small Claymore was fighting them without even raising her yoki. She was fully suppressing her power and it was effortless fighting that was ending the monster’s useless underlings. She was amazed at the small warrior’s skills and was almost certain that she was undetected, but the little brat’s head turned towards her all the same and the monster realised that she had been seen. She went to pull back when she saw the last of the yoma get slashed in half, the little bitch not even bothering to look at them her eyes meeting the beast’s eyes._  
  
I looked to my right and as I cut down the last of the yoma I saw what it was that I had felt, the awakened being had been watching what was going on with unusual interest. I focused on getting her signature and as I walked towards her she decided to speak, “Well, well, well, a little Claymore to play with, I guess I should have known that they were going to send at least one of you to deal with my idiotic underlings,”  
She laughed as she walked forward to me, “Funny really that they would send a warrior like you, a mere child to deal with an old woman like me,” she laughed and I simply gave her a blank stare, I wasn’t going to raise to her taunting when I heard the thump of someone landing. I hadn’t wanted him here, but if he was than I was going to have to hide the fact that I knew him, despite the blush that was creeping up my cheeks,  
“Oh so the runt isn’t alone, he, he, he,” the being laughed, “I never thought I’d see you again, Christopher the Strong,”  
“Shut up Narelle,” Eric’s voice came clear and strong, confident and calm. I jumped around at was staring at Chris and Eric, both looking at me now, “Your call kiddo,”  
“She’s mine,” I reply calmly, “best finish the yoma I missed,”  
“Go on Eric,” Chris grinned, “do what the little lady says,”  
“Fuck you Christopher,” Eric growled,  
“Bet you can’t do it in five minutes,” Chris grinned,  
“You’re on you asshole,” Eric ran off while Chris was still grinning,  
“Now, now Chloey, not on your own,” Chris grinned and I soon found myself blushing,  
“Oh, what is she your girlfriend or something?” the awakened being came fully out of the shadows and I noticed that she was tall, her golden hair flowed down to her waist, all ringlets of golden hair to contrast her slate grey eyes. She was a whole lot taller than what I was but I’d known that it was simply possible to happen anyway so I just ignored the fact that she was looking at me with her hateful eyes and waited to see what it was that she wanted. Chris looked at her with a bored eye as if to say that he wasn’t particularly interested in playing around with her mind games. I tilted my head and carefully studied her yoki; she seemed to have been a former single digit, though not what I would have called strong or powerful. I could sense that Eric was blowing off some steam and Chris simply waited,  
“You know Narelle, you were always such a nuisance the way you were as a warrior, I’d be willing to be that hasn’t changed even now,” Chris smirked and I felt her yoki rise up.  
  
She exploded in to a strange form, one that I’d never seen in all my time as a warrior. She was human in her upper body and arms, but her lower body was something else entirely. It was as if she’d tried to look like a goat but failed that. Her legs resembled that of a goat with badly damaged legs, cords running from her legs in to the ground and she was easily as tall as the three story houses that we were fighting among.  
  
I waited for her yoki to rise further and I suddenly realised that she was fully released,  
“Not too shabby, looks like you can make your yoki seem bigger than what it really is,” I say calmly,  
Chris looked at me with a nod of approval, and I continued, “See you can scare off weaker warriors by being intimidating but anyone stronger, more powerful than you, however when push comes to shove you just can’t match anything stronger than yourself. This is your weakness you need a horde of yoma just to make the fight easier on yourself later so that the warrior is already weakened and then you appear to finish her off. Not today, this is where you will die, here and now!”  
  
I jumped forward and dodged the cords that she sent at me. This was to be one of my easier fights. Chris slashed through her left leg and I used his momentum to separate her upper body from her lower body so that she couldn’t move. Chris managed to get her left arm and I noticed that she was regenerating and I aimed straight for her head.  
  
_If there was one thing that I knew it was that there were many different types of warriors, defensives like myself healed fast but were supposed to be weak at attacking, offensive warriors were great at attacking, but couldn’t heal as fast, nor could they regenerate limbs. I knew almost as soon as the time had come that I was a defensive type. Most warriors used training to build upon their desire for revenge, but I used it to learn how to survive. I wasn’t about to stop learning how to survive, I had to as I had a great fear of death, such a great fear that I couldn’t stand thinking about it in any way, shape or form._  
  
The battle was over, Narelle’s body lay in pieces as Meg and Claire rushed to the scene while Eric was fighting with Chris. I left the two men to sort themselves out. Kate jumped up and nearly knocked me over with her joy that I was still alive and Meg was laughing happily. Claire looked in to the sky with a wistful expression and we all decided that we would rest for the night.  
  
Chris and Eric both sat down away from each other and I stared in to the fire, thinking about what had happened today and just how close things would have gotten, had Meg and Claire actually been there. I adjusted my position when Chris came over and as I looked at him I could see that he was relieved about something, but I wasn’t about to pry. Kate slept by the fireside as the night wore on and Eric told some wild tales from when he was a working warrior, while Meg giggled and teased him over it. Chris just kept staring in to the fire, his mind in another place, one that I would never know about, and one I didn’t ask for fear of being overly prying.  
  
As the sun rose to welcome a new day, Meg, Claire, Kate and I all continued towards our ordered task. There was very little talking and even less laughter as last night. Meg was solemn in her silence and Claire was even being quiet. I didn’t have the heart to ask what they were thinking and it wasn’t until we stopped for the night that Meg finally spoke, for the first time that day,  
“You know what,” she began, “I am getting pretty sick of Ahiria and Hysteria’s stupid feud over nothing,”  
“What feud?” I asked,  
“You know the whole, ‘kill her, kill her’ thing that’s going on at the moment, I mean come on what was it that started all of this shit anyway?” Meg asked, “A few sharp words, or a previous fight? I doubt that warriors would want to waste such time working on trying to kill one another without reason…perhaps Ahiria’s close to her limit, or Hysteria, maybe that’s the truth of the matter,”  
Claire looked at me solidly and I could see that the two had unanswered questions, so I decided to answer them as best as I could,  
“Neither seemed to be that way,” I said softly, “it seemed to me that at the time it was a grudge that both had for each other that hasn’t died down and it won’t be settled until one of them dies,”  
  
It was about a week after clearing the yoma hoarded town that I was to see the worst fight in a long time.  
  
Hysteria’s yoki was elevated and I paused as I realised that what the Organization had been trying to avoid for nearly two years now had come to pass. Ahiria was dead, I paused and watched from the distance as Hysteria showed clear warning signs that she was awakening, her yoki was out of her control, but I knew that she had killed Ahiria. Ahiria was laying, yoki almost completely gone and Hysteria was starting to go out of control. I shuddered at what I was sensing and now that I knew what was going on, I also knew without a doubt that things weren’t going to be good. I had a really bad feeling that there was going to be a second Luciela and that was the last thing that we needed right about now.  
  
As I ran back towards the others, I knew that there was little or no time. Never in my life had I been so glad to see Orsay.


	15. Chapter XIV: Kate’s Secret

# Chapter XIV: Kate’s Secret

  
_A whole group of girls stood shivering in the cold pillared room, not moving for fear of not knowing what it was that they had to do. Of the group of girls there were four that stood together, the tallest of which was more like a woman than a girl wore her long pale blond hair up in to a high ponytail that rested on either shoulder and came down to her waist, with shortish bangs on both sides of her long face. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration and she was lightly resting a hand on a small blond. The other three were varying in height and age. The next tallest had short and choppy strawberry blond hair that left her left eye covered with choppy bangs while a darkish blond stood not far from her with her long hair drawn back off her round face. The smallest girl there was the only one that seemed to be remotely closed off, as if she was in another completely different place altogether her hair was loose and she wore a fringe with simple side bangs with shoulder length hair. It was this small blond that was under the tall woman like girl’s resting hand. All of them had silver eyes and each one of them was different. The rest of the girls naturally stayed out of the tall girl’s way and didn’t want to pick a fight with her at all._  
  
It was as if time itself had passed so swiftly that no sooner had she felt as if they’d all barely begun, than Kate was holding a proper claymore broadsword in her hand, hunting her first yoma since becoming a warrior. She was given the rank of Number 11 to start with, but her handler Dae often praised her skills and abilities to the other men and Kate knew that she was going to be in the single digits soon. She had lied to the men, saying that she was just Chloey’s sister, lying to keep her precious daughter as safe as she could. She knew that the Organization was bad. Kate had known it for a long time and seeing how the humans suffered under the supposed rule of her masters had made Kate want to run away and take Chloey to escape them for good. What Kate hadn’t expected was for Chloey to be so strong and powerful. Chloey far outstripped nearly every warrior that Kate had thus far met and she had barely met many of her comrades. She knew that the time to leave wasn’t right. She just knew it. So she settled for waiting.  
  
Nearly six months had passed since Kate had become a warrior and before she was due to head out to an awakened being hunt, she saw something that was not only shocking, but downright horrific. She had been walking out of her quarters and down some corridor knowing that her handler liked this area even though it had given her the creeps to head that way, she’d kept walking as she’d wanted to confirm that she was indeed being sent out to hunt an awakened being.  
  
The corridor was dank and dark, the smell was putrid beyond measure to her acute sense of smell and she knew that this place wasn’t normal. It was as if the walls were telling her that something bad lay ahead should she dare to see what it was and as Kate walked around the corner she wished that she hadn’t.  
  
It was a room that was filled with dead bodies, bodies in pieces, bodies with some parts missing and at least two that looked like they were something that was worth noting as being whole. Kate covered her nose in an effort to keep her nose from smelling anymore of the terrible smell. The dead bodies had to be warriors, nothing could have carried such a degree of damage like that and have just blond hair. The entire room was just eerie and made Kate want to throw up, even if she couldn’t eat much anyway. It was as if she was seeing something that was bad…very bad…and Kate herself knew that what was going here was just plain wrong in nearly all ways of being wrong. She knew that this was the worst possible fate for a dead warrior and she also knew that there was nothing she could do to change the situation save not saying a word about it to anyone. She backed out of the sickening room and ran out as fast as she dared. She didn’t even stop to look behind her as she just ran. There was no way that she was going to say a word, no matter how hard she was questioned. Kate just ran and ran. She bolted out of Sutafu with less than welcome haste, a couple of the handlers staring at her as she passed them. Kate ran until she could run no more and her throat was sore.  
  
She kept moving as fast as she could to the meeting point. She was going to have to make up a good excuse to cover for her pure bolting from Sutafu before she was given orders to leave and Kate decided that the best thing to do was to lie about it in a way that had some truth to it. she waited for nearly two full days before Dae arrived. He was as unconcerned as ever and as she waited for his questioning, there was a faint rustle of leaves and she turned to the trees. There was only one who was capable of coming without being noticed and Kate felt a grin on her face. The whole thing just got that much more interesting and easier to lie about than before.  
  
“Who’s there?” Dae all but mused to himself,  
As if to answer his question, and certainly not to waste her breath, Chloey stepped out of the trees noiselessly and timed so perfectly that Kate had to say,  
“Hey, one down and two to go,” and Dae just stared at her for a second, thinking and just when Kate thought she was going to have to say something else he gave a half nod and said,  
“The others should arrive within the next few days,” and he turned and left the clearing.  
  
Kate hugged Chloey like normal and rested her sword in the ground. She knew that it was pointless to see who could sense further, Chloey had her down for the count as the small girl could sense that much better than she could. Kate rested with her back on her blade and closed her eyes. She heard Chloey slam her own blade down and as she did so Kate heard a strange sound. It was as if Chloey had fallen down. Kate lazily opened an eye and sure enough, Chloey was on her side asleep. Kate felt a small chuckle and closed her eye again. Soon enough the other two warriors would arrive and she would wait until Chloey sensed them out to work out the best solution to working with them. She had hoped that it was Lisa and Misty, those two would lighten the mood and make it more fun to be doing the task. Kate was a warrior of many thoughts and she was sure that Chloey had many more. It was often so easily seen on her face that she wondered how Orsay couldn’t have noticed that girl’s expressions and what they truly meant. It was astounding that the Organization knew so much and yet so little about their warriors and what it was that really made their warriors work. Kate was simply waiting now and that was all that she could do.  
  
I sat in awe of what I was hearing, and for all the time that Kate spoke it was clear to me what it was that Dae was doing, it was wrong and small wonder that Kate had wanted her body to be kept away from them. I still didn’t know where it was exactly, but that didn’t matter. They were doing something that was wrong. Then I had a curious thought that it might have been nothing at all and that Kate might have thought that was what she was seeing, but I didn’t ask her too much about it. There was no time, nor was there any point in doing so. I had enough on my plate as Meg and Claire had been ordered along with Skylar and several of my comrades that they were needed to kill Hysteria. It was decided that she would be chased up to Rockwell Hill, and I, of course was to stay back and tell the men what was happening rather than risk me getting hurt. They had full confidence that Hysteria would be stopped by my comrades and I wasn’t needed. I didn’t care what they said, I had a bad feeling and it was going to last me as long as I was still alive. I didn’t know why, but I was sure that there was a mistake being made all over again. I knew in my heart that my comrades were in danger and I also knew that very few of us were going to make it…


	16. Chapter XV: Hysteria’s End

# Chapter XV: Hysteria’s End

  
_I laughed loudly for the first time in a long time. Skylar howled with laughter as well, while Meg and Claire were both lying on the grass laughing. It was one of the few times where we weren’t actually busy hunting yoma. Skylar’s long silver hair flowed to her waist and she wore her bangs over her left eye like always. I had long since known that the Number 3 had something wrong with that left eye and I still refrained from asking her about it. Now though, it was as good a time to ask. I had come to know her quite well and though she was sometimes cold and unfeeling towards others, she was close to me and I cared deeply for her. She was like an older sister to me, even though we weren’t related, much like Kate and I were for such a long time before she told me the truth about everything that I was supposed to have known well before everything had changed. Meg had gradually stoped teasing her so much and Claire had stopped cringing around her. Skylar was smiling a little more since I first met her and we enjoyed training together, Skylar insisting that I give her a good match whenever she felt game to face my blade.  
  
And there we were laying full length in the meadow, the warm summer’s sun beating down on us while we were just relaxing. Skylar had made a joke and I’d laughed. It was as simple as that. Even though we were resting, I suppose we all knew that it wasn’t long before we would have to go back to work killing yoma and I sighed, “Hey Chloey, are you ok?” Skylar asked me, “Is something wrong?”  
“Nothing’s wrong Skylar,” I replied with a soft smile, “it’s just that I don’t want today to end,”  
Meg laughed again and Skylar nodded, “I know what you mean, I think that we have all done well to get this reprieve, and we should enjoy it while it lasts,”  
  
She sighed and stretched out happily her right eye closing and I sat up. I was feeling something in the air and I knew that it was bad, really bad. I didn’t say a word as I knew that Luciela was never far away, her hunger leading her to feed a while near the southernmost tip of the continent. She would be feeding with very little impact down that way. There were very huge cities down in the south and she would be laying low like Isley and Riful. I shuddered and the good moment was lost on me. Nothing was more worrying than what it was that Luciela was doing and when it was that she was going to stir up trouble, if she was going to.  
  
Skylar sat up again and fully looked at me,  
“Hey, Chloey, earth to Chloey are you in there…Chloey…Chloey where are you going…hey Chloey!” her voice became a yell as I didn’t even think of what it was that I was doing, or where it was that I was going. Skylar tried to grab me, but I slipped through her fingers with ease. Only one thing was on my mind and it was as if Kate herself knew what I was thinking. She ran alongside me as my pace sped up. I could hear Meg Claire and Skylar all yelling at me, and as I ran, I could feel more than I wanted to feel of what was going on.  
  
On I ran, though where I was running to I didn’t know. Meg and Claire had both barely managed to keep up and even Skylar couldn’t catch me. I kept running as if pulled somewhere and it was night fall by the time I actually slowed down enough for Skylar to grab my arm,  
“What is it Chloey?” she demanded, “What happened, what’s going on?”  
I took a while to realise that I was shaking from head to foot and I was still uneasy about what it was that I was sensing. It wasn’t good and I didn’t know what it was. Nor could I tell her why I’d run off in the first place. It was as if I was drawn away, as if something had happened that pulled my mind away from the present and into the past. I didn’t fight Skylar, instead I let her pull me back to camp again. I was still shaking from head to toe and I suddenly realised what it was that had happened. One of our comrades was killed as an awakened being because she wasn’t powerful enough to defend herself form Dauf. I realised that as we headed towards the moon rising in the east. So I’d gone towards the west on instinct…_  
  
I stood up and waited for the ambush to be played out. Orsay, Dae, Ermita and even Rimuto were all standing at what they deemed to be the ‘safe’ distance for them from the fighting and it was easily in my limits of perception. Most of my comrades though would have no idea that I was even there and it wasn’t long before I knew that it was going to be one hell of a fight that I would never want to see the result of. All of them were waiting on Hysteria to come forth since she had refused to send her black card to a single warrior. Not one. It was as if her pride in her skill was going to be her ultimate downfall and I was forced back once again to witness what was going to be a massacre, and it was one thing that I also knew would leave us near the brink. I also knew that the time was coming for me to leave the Organization, the time of which I had known was going to come soon, as the men searched for a way to make ‘eyes’ that were more obedient than I was. I had known for a long time now, and it was time to begin the preparations to escape the men that would think of me as dead. Dead to them and dead like a corpse. They would forget about their expendable ‘eyes’ the warrior that they claimed was one of the best that they’d ever had. It would be as if I was never in the ranks, as if I had ceased to exist. However it was going to be the great feeling of leaving them high and dry that had its appeal to me, leaving them blind for a while until they made the next ‘eyes’. I figured that I’d have a few years before they ever thought of me again and I knew that in that time they still wouldn’t have the warrior to match me.  
  
Even if they did it was going to be one hell of a stroke of luck more so than actual training that was going to count towards anything. I knew what was coming and I could now pick up even the most suppressed yokis. It was beginning to bug me that not only could I sense my comrades waiting on Rockwell Hill I could also sense Hysteria, Luciela, Rafaela, Riful and her consort Dauf as well as Isley and Rigaldo. It was just my rotten luck that I had become more sensitive with age. In the seven years that had passed since Luciela’s awakening, I had changed. I hadn’t noticed some of it, but I knew I wasn’t the same warrior that I was back then. I was stronger for a start, the more I lived the stronger I became. Each day that I lived was a day that my abilities grew. My yoki was more suppressed than Rafaela’s was and I was sensing nearly half the island away with ease, as if my subconscious was waiting to find a safe place to hide and I knew there was one place that I could hide that had been left high and dry, not just by the Organization, but by the yoma and the awakened beings for the last few years. It was the last place that they would expect me to hide and it was almost right under their noses. It was the best thing to do.  
  
_Hysteria kept heading forward, she could sense the other warriors, her comrades and at first she was confused, why were they all waiting for her, and what was there reason for being as scared as they were. She soon found out as their blades turned on her. She was so shocked at first that she failed to notice that a certain warrior was watching the scene carefully waiting for her moment. Warriors ran forward and kept attacking her, they were trying to kill her. Then she got angry, how dare they insult her in this way, how dare they treat her like this. She killed the nearest warrior. Even Blind Meg and Soft Heart Claire were among the warriors; she looked left and right, fury making her attack using her ‘Elegant’ technique. Meg leapt back, she could sense Hysteria out and there was no way that she was going to get her. Claire managed a jolting strike before Hysteria cut her down. Meg kept applying pressure and opening up Hysteria’s weaknesses, but Meg too was cut down. There was one missing. The more Hysteria counted, the more she was sure of it._  
  
The smallest warrior wasn’t there. It was as if she knew that there was a fighting chance. No Chloey meant a chance of living, she would escape and the men would leave her alone. But Hysteria knew that it was a matter of time before that small thorn in her side was more than that. She knew that Chloey was more than a thorn and had been since she was the Number 7, a single digit before Hysteria was even given a rank. Hysteria fought hard, she cut deeply in to Laughing Skylar, so deeply that Hysteria wouldn’t have to worry about her anymore. She was still waiting for the small warrior to appear as she often did, and as she fought Hysteria knew that she would never match the small woman, she would be dead if she didn’t escape here and now.  
  
It was all going to plan, she would have got away, only the Number 4 and Number 8 were left when the Number 8 seized her chance, charging forwards and injuring Hysteria so that she couldn’t flee anymore. Hysteria was angry and she went to turn on to the warrior, only to be killed from behind by the Number 4. As she fell Hysteria swore that Chloey had a hand in her death, as if the small warrior had done the only thing that she could have done, the only thing that could have stopped Hysteria long enough for the Number 8 to injure her.  
  
I was running. Tears that I couldn’t control were streaming down my face and pain and sadness was all I knew. My amour clanked louder than it ever had, I knew it…I knew of the deaths and I knew that so few survived to live this time.  
  
“Skylar! Skylar!” I was screaming, as I fell upon her lifeless form. I knew that she was gone, but in my heart I didn’t want to believe it. I held on to her, tears and screams filling the air while my other comrades struggled to their feet. I trembled and shook pain biting as deep as the day I lost Kate when she was still in her human body. My pain fractured the ground below me as I screamed and cried, my yoki surging yet being still, my eyes were gold, I knew they were, but my face remained untouched by my yoma half, it was as if even in grief I was in total control, yet chaotic as well. Those of my comrades who were left alive by Hysteria were shrinking and cowering before me. Meg limped towards me, Claire behind her, tears in her eyes as they both came towards us.  
  
“It’s all their fucking fault…Skylar…Skylar’s…gone…” I sobbed, “I swear if another comrade is killed by them I will slaughter them, I’ll fucking kill whichever fucking handler is in my fucking way and bury him alive!”  
I was shaking with rage and grief, tears flowing freely down my checks as I held Skylar, her face almost peaceful her right eye closed. I carefully lifted up her bangs and for the first time I now knew why she covered half her face like she did. I recovered her face and lifted her off the ground. I found her sword and Meg and Claire followed me, Claire weakly lifting up the sword and crying all the while. Claire’s sobs were mixed with mine as we both walked towards the edge of the hill. The others followed our example, lifting up those who were no longer with us. I looked back at them and Irene and René met my eyes, it was as if for a moment I saw myself when I was just a young warrior, the first real pain had only just begun, now it was going to be a lot harder and an up hill battle from here on out. My comrades buried all the ones that had passed. As I lifted up Hysteria the very cause of this massacre I felt tears run down my face at the sheer number of lives that could have been saved if Numbers 2 through 5 were called to deal with her. I shook and tears stained my face. The men would know of the outcome when they arrived, I’d left them on their own. They were safe and sound so it didn’t matter. I still knew that in the end, there was nothing that could be done…nothing now except pray that God would receive the souls of the fallen and carry them to the safety of his house. I lowered my head as Claire shoved the last sword in the ground with the rest of us all looking towards the setting sun. for the first time in my life I spoke loud enough to be heard,  
“This loss is great, and it is time that we warriors truly stand together,” I paused, and continued, “let no one forget this day and let it be so that every warrior knows of this event, tell the young ones that come to us to learn how to survive, tell your comrades when you meet them the first time…but most importantly, keep this for the warriors to come and let them know of the great sadness that we endure.”  
I looked at my comrades and they were just as tear-stained as I was. It was now or never. I knew what needed to be done and the time was set.


End file.
